Category — Family Cruising

By Julie Atkins, Manager of Client Services & Group Administration. The Cruise Web, Inc.

Service is very important when it comes to vacations, so much so that it can make or break your trip. After a few vacations, our expectations become loftier and our definition of “great service” changes. Luckily, cruise lines are also raising the bar and finding ways to exceed our expectations, taking their service from ordinary to extraordinary.

One of the reasons I enjoy cruising is definitely the service. From the moment you step aboard you find friendly attentive crew standing by to welcome you aboard (often with a glass of champagne) or guide you to your cabin. Then after you relax and enjoy a refreshing cocktail, it’s off to your stateroom where your luggage has already been delivered – all without you having to lift a finger. Upon arrival to your room you notice that there is a plastic mat on top of your bed to ensure that you do not dirty your bed as you unpack your luggage. After all, who wants to sleep in a dirty bed? [Read more →]

A compilation by The Cruise Web employees.

In honor of this month’s “Service” theme, we’ve compiled several stories of above and beyond service as experienced by our employees on cruise vacations.

Tina C.
When I stayed in the Courtyard Villa on the Norwegian Epic my butler James was so amazing. My sundress strap broke and I asked him to take it to the cleaners on the ship. He said, “No, I will have my friend Ming sew it for you.” The next morning he brought it to me and it was perfect. I feel like he went far above and beyond.

Beth T.
Azamara Club Cruises is a wonderful line, and when I sailed on the Azamara Journey with my husband a few years ago we had a butler that went above and beyond for us. Not only was he extremely friendly and attentive the entire time, but when we first got on the ship we found out our clothes had been tossed all about and were quite wrinkled. We were discussing this in our cabin and he overheard us and offered to have them complimentary pressed for us. It is that type of service that really sticks out and makes a cruise even more memorable! [Read more →]

A compilation from The Cruise Web employees.

When on a cruise or touring a new destination, everyone loves to indulge in the local foods and treats, usually breaking away from our healthy eating! The Cruise Web staff has come together to share with you some secrets behind our favorite treats, both on and off the ship! We would love for you to share some of your favorite “treats!”

Chris R.
My favorite treat is a tough one, because there are so many and I like to take advantage of all of the treats. So here are my treats, in no particular order: A midnight slice of pepperoni pizza, soft serve ice cream by the pool, Celebrity’s Sorbet Parade, an after-dinner drink of Frangelico, NCL’s Midnight Chocolate Buffet, and waffles with whipped cream and fruit for breakfast. I’m sure I’m missing some, but that just means I have to go on another cruise so that I can refresh my memory. Happy Halloween! [Read more →]

A compilation from The Cruise Web employees.

Halloween is the perfect time of year to let loose and step into an alter ego! The staff at The Cruise Web has taken a walk down memory lane and picked some of their own personal favorite costumes from Halloweens past and present. Do you have a favorite costume that you or someone you’ve seen has worn? We would love to hear your favorites! Plus it’s a great way to get ideas for this Halloween in case you haven’t started creating your costume yet!

Karolina S.
My 9-month-old daughter, Sophie, will be celebrating her first Halloween this year! Sophie will be an adorable little Tiger! My husband and I recently became members of FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo) and have been visiting the zoo with Sophie. When at the zoo, Sophie enjoys the colors and sounds of tigers, which helped us to decide on her first costume! We’ll be accompanying Sophie as tiger handlers! [Read more →]

Sometimes the best word to describe a suite is, well, sweet! Cruises vary widely depending on the type of cabin booked, and there’s no denying that the suite is in a class of its own. From the moment passengers step into a suite, it’s clear that their vacation is going to be extraordinary. The following suite experiences represent some of the sweetest as remembered by The Cruise Web’s employees:

Raquel Grinnell
The Penthouse Suite on the Celebrity Solstice has the most amazing bathroom I’ve ever seen at sea… There’s a flat-screen TV in the bathtub area so you can bubble-bath and watch a movie at the same time!!! As a European, I also loved seeing a bidet. The master closet was also amazing; more beautiful and organized than mine at home! I really liked the decor, as well — very sleek and modern with quiet golds and browns, dark wood finish on all the furniture and the kicker of course is the big hot tub and bar area for entertaining out on the balcony.

[Read more →]

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

In December of 2008, I went to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Gem and got to stay in one of their Courtyard Villas. We were picked up by limousine early that morning in DC and started heading to New York. When we arrived at the port, we announced that we had a Courtyard Villa. Upon hearing that, the special treatment began. They quickly checked us in and asked us to wait in a private lounge with refreshments, which was nice since we had been driving all morning.

Upon boarding, we were greeted with champagne and mimosas. We kept moving as we were so excited to explore the ship and see our villa, which was located on the 14th deck. The elevator even had a special slot that wouldn’t let you push the button to your floor unless you inserted the platinum (VIP) room key.

The Courtyard was absolutely gorgeous. There was a warm natural water pool (no chlorine to irritate the skin!) in the center and a Turkish steam bath and traditional sauna at the far end. It resembled a greenhouse with plants and an earthy décor. Besides the courtyard, there was a private sun deck where you could lounge on oversized cushioned deck furniture. On top of that, the deck and courtyard attendant brought us anything we needed. [Read more →]

By Julie Atkins, Manager of Client Services & Group Administration

Taking a baby on vacation may seem more challenging than rewarding, and in my experience it’s a bit of both. I always joke when I get back from vacation with my daughter that I need another vacation on my own! When Erin was six months old we decided to take her on her first cruise.

I chose Holland America because they had the most suitable itinerary, sailing on the ms Eurodam. When choosing an itinerary with babies or young children, the Caribbean is a very good choice. We visited St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Turk which are best known for their soft sandy beaches. We went for 7 nights and traveled in the month of December.

Eastern Caribbean Beaches

When you arrive at the ports of call, the best source of information is of course the locals. So we always ask them where the quiet, family-friendly beaches are and we are never disappointed.

One of the ports of call is Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private Island. They have an option to book a Cabana on the beach and I would highly recommend doing this. It allowed us to spend the entire day at the beach, it was air conditioned and stocked all day with soft drinks and fruit. They have comfortable cushioned lounges and exclusive waiter service. Priceless! [Read more →]

Warm weather and sunny skies can only mean one thing, it’s time to hit the beach! And with so much cruising experience, it’d just be downright selfish if we didn’t share our favorite beaches. Without further ado, our favorite beaches and beach experiences:

Adam Wolf
My favorite beach is Magens Bay located on the north shore on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.  Magens Bay beach is a state park…the beach is heart shaped and is approximately 1 mile long, featuring serene turquoise waters, beautiful white sand, and plenty of shaded areas under the trees…typically there are no waves or currents at the beach.  Lifeguards are on duty during the day and there is a bar, gift shop, and great bath facilities…don’t miss eating breakfast there at the snack bar.  National Geographic magazine called it one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world!

Gloria Hanson
I would have to say one of my favorite beaches is in Bonaire. I can’t swim and am not particularly fond of water activities because of this impediment, however, when we cruised to Bonaire and I saw how shallow the water was, it gave me a whole new outlook on water sports. [Read more →]

By: The Cruise Web, Inc.

During a recent Seminar at Sea onboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas attended by myself and several fellow agents, I was lucky enough find out just how much time, money, and sheer sweat goes into the large-scale production shows on a cruise. By coincidence, on the first day of our cruise one of the agents from my office ran into an old friend of his, Drake DeLucca. They had gone to performing arts school together, and Drake just happened to be one of the stars of the show on our cruise! Because of Drake and Royal Caribbean’s generosity, we all had a very revealing view of what happens behind-the-scenes to put on a production costing millions of dollars.

In the main theater we toured the lighting and sound booth, which was worthy of any venue on Broadway. We also saw the entire backstage area, including props, costumes, ropes and harnesses for the “In The Air” show where the actors are flying 20 feet over the audiences’ heads, even the trapdoor areas under the stage where the actors just ‘disappear’ during a number.   Liberty of the Seas (and many of her sister ships) also has the “On Air” Club which is a fantastic area dedicated solely to karaoke. Imagine being shown how to work the computers for the singers, and singing onstage with a professional – it was such a memorable experience and we are all so indebted to Drake for his generosity and taking so much of his personal time to show us a little taste of his life on a cruise stage. [Read more →]

By: The Cruise Web, Inc.

Everyone knows that there is plenty of food on a cruise. Most people think of food for the body only.  But let’s look at food for the brain.  There is plenty of that on a cruise, too.

You always mean to set aside time to learn something new, but it’s hard to do with a full schedule.  A cruise is actually a good time to learn something new.  Do you have a lot of pictures you’ve downloaded to your computer and don’t know what to do with them?  There are classes on how to organize your pictures and how to edit them.  Want to learn something new on the computer?  There are classes for all levels of use.

Have you wanted to learn to play bridge?  There are classes for that.  You can take pottery classes, jewelry making classes and all types of arts and crafts lessons.  Do you like the towel animals in your cabin?  There are sometimes classes to learn how to make them. [Read more →]