A Cruise for the Holidays

So as the holidays are approaching, many families are looking for nice vacation spots to get away. The last two Christmas breaks, my family has taken a cruise with Royal Caribbean. Both times we took the Mexico route and went to Cancun, Belize, and Cancun. Now, my mom, dad and I all love to sit out by the pool. However, my 15-year-old sister hates lying out and would much rather be in doors. Believe it or not, we all were 100% satisfied and happy throughout the entire trip.

The first cruise was absolutely amazing and the weather was beautiful. The second time, the weather was horrible. It is really hard to predict this time of year what the weather is going to be like because it can either be hot and sunny or cold and windy. In fact, the second time we went (last year) it was about 65 degrees and so windy that you would not have even wanted to stop outside.

The great thing about a cruise, though, is the fact that you can still find fun on the ship. During the day we went to the casino and participated in the day games such as BINGO. There really is so much to keep you active on the ship. For the kids, there are different clubs that they can go to based on age. The clubs all have leaders that are really fun with the kids and have events planned by the hour.

Once the day is over, it gets even better because the dinners are fantastic. The dinners are 5 courses in which are pretty much planned out each night, with a few options. There is at least one dinner, the captain’s dinner, in which you dress in formal attire. It is always fun to dress up and see everyone else. After dinner, there are many different activities that you can participate in. You can pretty much find anything from shows, karaoke, and live game shows to relaxing in the bar.

When the weather is good, I can tell you that you will not be bored on the ship. If you are a sunbather, like me, they have a ton of chairs around a pool to lie out and poolside activities that go on throughout the day to keep it fun. I had just as much fun during the day as I did at night.

My best advice for a family vacation during the holidays is a cruise…especially if you cannot decide on an exact location. The great part about a cruise is that you can pick one that goes to the few places that you want to travel to, but all in one trip. The time is short and goes by quickly, but I have enjoyed every cruise that I have been on whether it was hot or cold outside.