It’s a common dilemma. While a Caribbean cruise is a popular choice for a holiday, with so many luxurious options to choose from it’s hard to know which is right for you. Luckily the Disney Cruise Line® offers something for everybody. With a little research before you set off, you can make sure your Disney cruise is the best vacation experience imaginable.
If you’ve never cruised before and aren’t sure how your sea legs will fair, try the 3 or 4-night cruise. If you decide you like cruising Disney-style you can opt for the week long cruise next time. With a Walt Disney World Holiday experience you can guarantee there will always be a next time!
Don’t forget to pack your glad-rags on for the sail away party. Held on deck you’ll see great views of the partying, set against the shore and the open ocean. Look out for the Cast Members in the Port building waving goodbye to you with their giant Mickey hands.
Families or groups with five members or more can save money by booking two connecting staterooms, rather than several smaller cabins. Just make sure you request connecting staterooms when booking.
On your first day, don’t worry if you don’t make it to the disembarkation talk. Although everyone is told to attend, the staff rebroadcast it continually on the stateroom televisions for the rest of the day. Do something else while everyone is packed in the theatre, and then watch it later, at your convenience.
As well as great food available at the ship’s restaurants, spa sessions, varied shopping opportunities and more activities to choose from than you can ever imagine, on a Disney Caribbean cruise you’ll even get to wade through the waters to Disney’s privately owned island, Castaway Cay on one of the daily stops.
Snorkelling, souvenir shopping and sunbathing on the island are highly recommended. Indulge in a cabana massage, which is very popular with the island’s residents (so it must be good!). Dive down to the depths along one of the many beaches where you’ll come across an old plane wreckage where thousands of
colorful fish congregate.
Despite common misconceptions Disney’s not just for kids and the fun continues long after they go to bed. For example, there are noticeably less children at the late seating for dinner and in the audience during the late show. Whatever you do, don’t leave “Disney Dreams” early: this is a must-see show.
Disney cruise tickets are not yet available through the brand’s site so you will need to call to book; however tickets to the numerous theme parks for your Walt Disney World Holiday can be booked online.
Things constantly change on-board but these tips will hold you in good stead and prepare you to embrace the enchantment of Disney’s high seas.
Lifecruiser Love Cruises
To take a Dominican Republic vacation is to take a vacation into one of the most laid-back and vibrant countries in the Caribbean.
You can let life simply drift by as you lay on the beach sipping a cocktail with the sun on your face and white sand between your toes, or you can get active and explore some of the wondrous sights and sounds it has to offer.
If you choose to pick up the pace, a great way to do it is with dance lessons. Who knows, they may come in handy if you are visiting in February during carnival season!
Music is inescapable in the Dominican Republic, as you would expect from a country with strong Latin and reggae roots. Like a soundtrack, it is there wherever you go and it is as much woven into the fabric and the identity of the country as it is into the history of the neighbouring Caribbean islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
But if you’ve got two left feet and want to make use of them then mountain-biking is the best way to take advantage of the country’s natural geographical diversity. For something slower, dramatic ocean backdrops mean the Dominican Republic has some of the best golf courses in the Caribbean.
No trip would be complete with a visit to Santo Domingo, specifically the Zona Colonial. You will not need a translator to understand what this area is all about. The architectural wonders of the place that Christopher Columbus’ son once called home tell a thousand tales.
Music, dancing, history, culture, water sports and more can all be found in this idyllic country. It’s a country whose charm will stay with you. It’s the quintessential Caribbean destination and can be reached through most popular tour operators, such as Thomas Cook package holidays.
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A family safari is a wonderful way of spending your holidays and there are many options to choose from. Game rich Botswana attracts many people each year and is a great destination for a family safari. There are a lot of alternative game activities here such as boat safaris or trips in traditional canoes called mokoros. There are also other activities that can be done such as fishing, learning how to track animals with the Bushmen or go Quad-biking in the Kalahari.
Botswana is, however, also one of the most exclusive and expensive countries in Africa for a family safari and the older the children are, the more they will remember and appreciate.
For a nice family safari you could, for example, start in northern Botswana and visit Chobe National Park. This game rich park will allow you and your family to see as much wildlife as you’re ever going to see and has some fantastic options for your stay. From smaller camps that will make you feel at home to larger lodges that will have all the facilities needed for a family, everything is here.
From here you could then go to the famous Okavango Delta, a must for any Botswana safari itinerary.
The good thing about Botswana is that there is a very good infrastructure in terms of connecting flights. Not only are these going to be interesting for the kids providing them with a wonderful bird’s
eye view over the country, but they also reduce the time it takes to get from one place to the next. Being stuck in a vehicle for long periods of time can be very tiring for the children but also for the
parent’s nerves!
In the Okavango Delta itself a good option is to stay at a small and personal luxury safari camp that will take time to look after you and your family. There are quite a few to choose from, with camps also offering family tents and special children’s activities. During these activities the specialist guides and staff will try and teach your kids about the bush and its wildlife in an interesting way, so that they even go home with a larger understanding of the natural world. Apart from the children focused activities there are, of course, also all the other normal activities such as game drives, night drives, bush walks and trips to special build hides.
After a few days in the Okavango Delta head into the Kalahari Desert or to the big salt pans such as the Makgadikgadi Pan. Here there is another range of activities including spending a day or two with the Bushmen. At the salt pans there is also an option to go camping in the wild; which is something that children will normally really enjoy!
Botswana may not be on everyone’s list for a family safari but it is definitely a destination worth keeping in mind!
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