Caribbean Princess
FTF's cruise specialist rates a new Caribbean-bound Princess ship to see how well it fares with families. Today’s cruise lines draw rave reviews for appealing to children and even moody teens, but what about that even more elusive subset – tweens aged 10 to 12? With this in mind, I embarked on a recent seven-day voyage with my 12-year-old daughter Chloe aboard the Caribbean...
Read More 5 min read
Corning Ware Where?
From the history of glass to to the history of flight, there is plenty to keep you and the children occupied in this pleasant upstate New York town. Even if you're never been to an outlet mall, the brand name Corningware certainly rings a bell. Did you realize the family that made all those casserole dishes oven-proof really has a passion for the art of glass-making? Their museum, a collection...
Read More 3 min read
Carnival Triumph
Join FTF's cruise expert as she boards the Carnival Triumph for a cruise with tweens and teens up the East coast to Canada.Been to an island destination with the kids lately? If so, you have probably been bombarded with pirate face painting and hair-braiding vendors – so is it any wonder that youth spas would be far behind? Sure enough, manicures with funky flower decals, special...
Read More 6 min read
Aboard Carnival’s Triumph
My family and I sailed on Carnival's Triumph from New York to Halifax last September. The Assistant Chief Cabin Steward Mr. Melvin Joseph, deserves a positive mention for being extremely helpful to me in the terminal when I left my valet bag on the ship after disembarking and clearing customs in New York. This could have been...
Read More 2 min read
Travel Specialists on the Millenium
With dwindling enthusiasm generated by Y2K computer fears, staggering rates for ordinary vacations, and the usual holiday shortage of airline seats, Millennium cruise and resort packages are still plentiful according to a recent report in Travel Agent. Since an estimated 20% of all Americans are expected to travel somewhere over New Years, we asked some of FTF's...
Read More 1 min read
Sit (Or Stay) In The Lap Of Luxury At Pet-Friendly Hotels
Looking for accommodations where the family pet can come along? Several of the major American hotel chains and resorts have started saying "Lassie and Whiskers Welcome Here." From the 36 million American households with live-at-home pets, says Parade magazine, come 10 million Americans who travel with them. Probing more deeply into the collective pet spyche was a survey...
Read More 2 min read
Travel Trends 2005: Kids Dig Hotels Designed With Their Needs In Mind
Family Travel Forum's FTFc consulting division reports on forward-thinking hotels with kid-pleasing rooms and amenities.Family Travel Forum's FTFc consulting division reports on forward-thinking hotels with kid-pleasing rooms and amenities. As the family travel market grows, savvy junior consumers are playing an ever larger part in marketing strategies. According to the Travel...
Read More 13 min read
Tiny Travelers Hero 2002: Barry Sternlicht
Safe, clean and comfortable cribs give babies and their parents the best night sleep.Barry Sternlicht, father of three and chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. manages one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 750 properties in more than 80 countries. He serves on several charity boards including the Juvenile...
Read More 2 min read
London: Attractions in the Millenium Year
Meeting distant cousins in London recently gave us the opportunity to spend a weekend there. Though we live about three hours away in Dorset, this was a first for our boys, who had an awfully good time. The new London Eye,...
Read More 2 min read