Trending: Taking the Kids on a Cruise
Is a family cruise on your vacation wish list? It turns out that the vast majority of people recently surveyed about vacations who have never been on a cruise — 94 percent — said they’d like to try cruising. The cruise trends survey of 1,000 Americans 18 and older was sponsored by Carnival Corporation. It’s easy to see why. The 30 million people expected to cruise this year will tell...
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Relaxing in 361 Days of Sunshine at Sirata Beach Resort
"You picked a fantastic weekend to come down, though there's really no bad time around here," our driver told us on the way from the Tampa Airport to St. Petersburg's family-friendly Sirata Beach Resort. "We get an average of 361 days of sunshine a year." I looked outside and squinted up at the brilliant sun, certain I must have misunderstood him. "No place has that much sunshine," I thought...
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Swimming with Whale Sharks Makes the Hit List
Well it wasn't on my Life's Greatest Hits list but with a birthday coming up and a son graduating from college I couldn't resist the opportunity to swim with whale sharks on a recent press trip to Cancun. Really? "Swim with whale sharks" was what it said on the itinerary for the day following a "Swim with Dolphins" excursion. Sounded equally harmless. And PR people...
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Petit St. Vincent: A Luxurious Digital Detox
If your family is ripe for a digital detox, consider an escape to Petit St. Vincent, a vacation paradise so perfect you won’t miss checking your e-mail. In today’s high-tech world, elementary school kids have smart phones and savvy toddlers cruise the web with ease. Stepping away from the Internet, television and cell phones, even just for a few hours, seems impossible. But...
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Swept Away on an Authentic Blue Coast Cruise
Imagine being at sea, skimming along a forested rocky coast, sunning on gleaming golden beaches and snorkeling in aquamarine waters; your dream is a chartered Blue Coast cruise holiday. Families dreaming of exploring the ancient sites and hidden coves of the Turquoise Coast can live their fantasy aboard a traditional wooden yacht known as a gulet (pronounced goolet)....
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Paddling to Cozumel: Sacred Journey of the Maya
The spiritual traditions behind the Sacred Mayan Journey (Travesía Sagrada Maya), a canoe trip paddling to Cozumel in Mexico, have put this journey on many bucket lists. A Bit of Maya Background on the Sacred Journey The Sacred Mayan Journey is a pre-Hispanic (1250 to 1519 A.D.) ritual to honor and worship Ixchel, goddess of the moon, tides, fertility, birth and medicine....
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Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa In Hawaii
"Disney Goes Hawaiian" is how this family sees Aulani, the company’s first and already successful venture running a themed beach vacation resort not related to an amusement park. “This is AWESOME!” I crane my neck over the swells to see my 12-year old son Will ride the rolling blue water. Then my husband Bob pops up on his board and holds that Hawaii Five-0 theme song pose,...
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Your Family’s Villa Getaway in Baja California
A resort with an all-inclusive option and rooms sleeping up to 12, Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa at the Islands of Loreto is an ideal family-friendly destination in Baja California. The first sight of Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa includes the Giganta Mountains, Sea of Cortez and Danzante Bay in a staggering panorama of natural beauty. What sets this property apart from...
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Great Grandparent Adventures with Road Scholar
Grandparents know the most valuable presents, the ones that never break and don’t need batteries, are lessons learned and memories made together. This year, Road Scholar offers grandparents the opportunity to give their...
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Celebrity Sighting! A Dazzling New Cruise Ship
Since choosing a cruise for family gatherings makes logistical issues easy and fun, Family Travel Forum was eager to experience the new Celebrity Edge, touted as the “World’s Most High-Design Cruise Ship.” When her preview cruise sailed in December 2018, it gave us a chance to flash forward nearly a decade from a prior cruise vacation aboard Celebrity...
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