Icon of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships and the first of her class. The ship boasts a ton of new features including some “first at sea” experiences such as the first swim-up bar in the fleet, the biggest waterpark at sea and the first suspended infinity pool at sea. Royal Caribbean has been busy reimagining new features while keeping some of the fan favorites. Royal Caribbean’s goal with its first Icon Class ship was “redefining adventure and setting a new bar for extraordinary.” I think they have definitely succeeded in setting that bar! There are so many new features of th ..read more

Booking with MSC cruises was different than booking with other cruise lines.  Guests customize their cruise experience by selecting from several experiences.   The experience based pricing structure allows guests to personalize their cruise based on their unique needs and wants.   We purchased the MSC Aurea Experience during our recent sailing on the MSC Magnifica.  Since we weren’t entirely sure what to expect with the experience, we’ve created this article to help you understand what’s included and to help you determine if it’s worth the cost. Cu ..read more

Virgin Voyages has revolutionized the cruising industry in just a few short years.  It’s no wonder cruisers are raving about Virgin Voyages with their unique entertainment, incredible value, laid back approach to luxury, and distinctive heath and wellness opportunities. VV has a 95% satisfaction score and 40% onboard rebooking rate, so you are pretty much guaranteed to enjoy your next cruise. We found so many things to love about Virgin Voyages and some things that we didn’t necessarily like. However, that doesn’t mean we didn’t overall LOVE our Virgin cruise. I put together a love ..read more

We all need a little help planning our next vacation and it’s important to learn as much as possible before setting sail. That’s why I had to put together this Virgin Voyages cruise tips & tricks article to share everything you need to know before sailing with Virgin Voyages. No one wants to be on a ship and find out they didn’t know to pack certain clothing or they miss  out on something extra because they didn’t know it existed. Virgin Voyages distinctive way of sailing the high seas may just steal your loyalty from some of the other cruise lines out there.  Assuming, of ..read more

We were thrilled to cruise with Virgin Voyages on the 5-night Riviera Maya sailing to Cozumel and Bimini. This was our first cruise without kids in almost 15 years, so we were ready to get away on a couples vacation. Virgin Voyages is such a unique cruise line. Not just for catering only to adults, but for the incredible value you receive by having all dining, wifi, gratuities and more included in the rate. Our cruise with the Virgin Voyages Miami embarkation started the moment we entered V Terminal and the good vibes kept on going throughout the entire cruise. We arrived the night prior ..read more

Alaska is a bucket list destination for many – including my family. We had been discussing taking an Alaska cruise before COVID, and finally made the trip the first week of June. The stunning beauty of the 49th state is indescribable. From the magnificent glaciers to the expansive and untouched wilderness, Alaska is a dream destination. Our adventure lasted 14 days with a 7 night Alaskan cruise included in our itinerary. Our cruise was the 7-Day Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver: Glaciers, Skagway & Juneau on the Norwegian Jewel. This included the popular Alaska Inside Passage cruise ..read more

One of Disney’s most iconic symbols is Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World.  Did you ever wonder where the inspiration for this castle came from? While it was inspired by a variety of palaces, the influence of the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein can be seen in it’s spires.   Take a look at the images and see if you can spot the similarities. Neuschwanstein Castle was built between 1869 and 1886 at  the direction of the Bavarian King, Ludwig II.   It was constructed as a refuge for the king in the style of a medieval castle.  Not only is Neuschwanstei ..read more

We had two busy days exploring Bratislava, the Slovak capital.  It was an easy task to find tourist attractions in Bratislava the kids enjoyed.  A city rich with history, food and a castle is always a favorite with my children. Following the maze of cobblestone streets, we were at once smitten with the old world charm of this city situated along a bank of the Danube River. Impressive pastel buildings line the streets, showcasing the historical grandeur of Bratislava during the Hungarian Empire. The city was of such importance that Queen Maria There ..read more

I know you want to find out how to travel for FREE.  There are a ton of great ideas out there, but we’re going to look at usual jobs to travel for free.   While it isn’t often you can travel completely for free, there are some wonderful ways to make it happen. Keep in mind some of these are true life changes that enable travel to be commonplace and included in part of your life.  Others are simply methods you can work toward providing your family with a great fun filled free vacation. You’ve probably heard that working on a cruise ship is a great way to combine work and tr ..read more

  If you’re planning a trip to the happiest place on earth, download our FREE printable Disney vacation planner.  The planner includes a day at Disney, trip details, kids journal and vacation countdown sheet. This Disney vacation planner will help you stay organized plus provide fun goodies for kids.  Use the countdown to let children mark off the days until you depart.  Instead of saying “Mom, how many more days until we leave for Disney,” they can simply keep their own countdown with Mickey. The journal is specially designed to hel ..read more