My family had never cruised together, but when Carnival announced plans to start seasonal service out of the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in Boston, I thought it sounded like a great summer family vacation for New England families.  The idea of just driving the few miles down the Mass Pike and immediately starting a vacation seemed appealing.  Carnival invited my family to sail on one of the new five-day itineraries to Canada, and we happily accepted.

We sailed on the Carnival Glory, one of Carnival’s fun ships, to Saint John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia – both destinations that I’d always wanted to visit.  In addition to the two days at ports, the Carnival Glory offers two full days at sea, as well as the first day in port in Boston.  We chose to arrive early on the first day so we’d get to experience more fun on the ship.

My family had a balcony stateroom, which offered a king bed (made up of two twin beds that could be separated), as well as a regular twin bed and a pull down bed (creating bunk beds).  The room was fairly spacious for a stateroom, with lots of space for our belongings.

The Carnival Glory, like the other fun ships, offer activities ranging from casino gaming to a kid’s club, which something for everyone.  Activities, including the kid’s club, runs through 3am, so you really could party the night away if you wanted to.  We stuck with the kid-friendly activities, which included mini-golf, two on-board shows, and a kid karaoke night.

Dining on the ship is actually a fabulous experience.  When you book, you can choose a 6pm dining time, an 8pm dining time, or the freedom option, which lets you dine at any time.   We were booked at 6pm, which was the perfect time for our kids, and were so impressed with the friendliness, efficiency, and memories of the wait staff.  By the third night, I didn’t even have to request my usual decaf coffee with dessert – it was just brought directly to me.  For those who choose to forgo the dining room, there are other options including a buffet and a sushi bar.  Couples can also choose to dine in the steakhouse for an additional fee.

The two ports of call were great.  Saint John was just so welcoming, and our whole family enjoyed the train over the Bay of Fundy that we took.  In Halifax, we had a 5-hour guided private tour that took us to all of the hotspots.  Both destinations were fabulous, and I’d highly recommend this itinerary for anyone wanting to explore Canada.

The Carnival Glory will be dry-docking in November to change over to the Fun Ship 2.0 concept, which includes a burger restaurant by Guy Fieri and an evening family game show.  I’m hoping to head out again next year to see all of the enhancements.

Visit the Carnival website to learn more about the New England/Canada seasonal routes.

Insider Tip for the Carnival Glory:

It’s worth it to spring for the balcony staterooms.  Although they cost quite a bit more than the interior rooms, the view and experience is worth it.

This is a guest post by Jodi Grundig of Family Travel Magazine. Photos are courtesy of Jodi Grundig.  This cruise and excursions were provided at no cost for purposes of review.

The Disney Fantasy

Imagine a vacation where mom and dad can relax in a seaside spa, while the kids enjoy fun activities and interactions with Disney characters.  On the Disney Cruise Line’s latest ship, the Disney Fantasy, it’s all possible.

I had the chance to check out the Disney Fantasy on a three-day media preview trip, and I’m already planning to visit next year with my whole family.  Although I’ve never cruised before, I was so impressed with how well the Disney Cruise Line operates.  They really think of everything that families need.

There are loads of things for families to do on board, including two different kids clubs, Broadway-style shows, a water coaster, a full-service spa, three family sit-down restaurants, and a movie theater.  In addition, the ship stops at several different ports in the Caribbean, depending upon the 7-day itinerary you choose.  On my trip, we only stopped at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay in the Bahamas, which is a fun spot with gorgeous views of the Caribbean.

Castaway Cay

The staterooms on the Disney Fantasy are a good size based upon cruise standards (which are small), and my stateroom with verandah had absolutely gorgeous views of the ocean.  I enjoyed ordering breakfast from room service in the morning (included in your cruise fare) and eating it on the verandah.  The food quality is average to above average for the included meals.  There are two high-end restaurants (for an additional fee) which I did not have the chance to try.

Insider Tip for the Disney Fantasy:

Arrive early on your first day.  While you won’t be allowed in your stateroom right away, you can bring on a day bag with essentials.  The earlier you arrive, the longer your first day on the ship is

This is a guest post by Jodi Grundig of Family Travel Magazine. Photos are courtesy of Jodi Grundig. Follow Jodi on Twitter.  This cruise was provided at no cost for purposes of review.

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Roatan, Honduras Garifuna Dancers

My first visit to Roatan, Honduras and it was during November’s rainy season. I was cruising on the Crown Princess as a guest of Princess Cruises. My dolphin encounter shore excursion was cancelled due to rough waters on the seas. As an alternative, I selected “The Best of Roatan” tour and discovered the Garifuna Dancers.

Go with the flow when on cruise ship

As a person new to cruising, I have learned that you need to be flexible when it comes to ports of call and shore excursions. On this particular Western Caribbean sailing, Hurricane Ida had Commodore Giuseppe Romano changing our itinerary to avoid rough seas. With my Holland America experience, our ship wasn’t able to tender at Sitka, Alaska due to hurricane force winds. Instead Captain Henk Keijer selected the protected and scenic Tracy Arm and it was fabulous! I have learned to adapt the “go with the flow” mentality when it comes to cruising.

Garifuna Culture

As I watched the traditional dances performed by descendents of African slaves, I learned that the men disguised themselves as women to avoid being killed during war time. The males dance the Jur Ca Nu and the women dance the Punta. Watch the feet of the women in the video and enjoy the traditional dances that have been handed down from generations since they settled in Roatan in 1797.

Roatan, Honduras food

Roatan, Honduras Yuka Bread Baker

I was fortunate to taste the Yuka bread after watching a local Roatan women prepare the casava bread on a mud stove. From there we journeyed to a local Roatan village to watch as the planteen was mashed to make the native Machuca. A typical dish, Machuca is made of boiled planteen that is mashed, a local white fish and coconut milk. Tasty!

What are your favorite things to see and do in Roatan, Honduras?

All photos and video courtesy of Travel Writer  Nancy D. Brown

Roatan