Dreaming of: Cruising

There is a saying about cruising that you either hate it or love it. We are on the LOVE IT camp. We have been to 2 cruises so far and both of them on the Carribean.

Our first cruise had set the bar pretty high seeing that we went to Disney Cruise Line. It was everything you expected from Disney and more. The food was amazing and abundant. We loved to order milk and cookie to end our night. The cabin was arranged in a way that you didn't feel cramp even for a family of 4. It was our first cruise so we were pretty green and I didn't do much planning on the excursion. Nonetheless, activities available on the ship were plenty to keep the whole family entertained.
The next cruise was with Carnival Cruise Line. That trip we headed to Jamica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The ship might not be as nicely decorated as Disney Cruise but the service was up to par. We had as much fun as our Disney cruise. Surprisingly, Miss J and Mr. Z seemed to feel more comfortable with the kid camp program with Carnival. Maybe because they were older or maybe because it was more intimated. We don't know but we would like to find out by going on a cruise again.

So today I'm dreaming of getting on another ship, being greeted by cold drink and cool breeze, enjoying pool side fun, eating till I can't put any more food, getting to know other destinations even for one day, oh.. so many things to do.

Picking a ship is almost as important as picking a destination. Not all ships go to the same destination so it depends on your preference.

So if I want to pick based on ship, I would love to try Royal Carribean Cruise Line next. I have heard so much great thing about them as one of the best cruise line for family. The Freedom class ships will allow us to try the surf board, the rock climbing and the water slide. What fun would that be!

If I want to pick based on destination, my other dream cruising is Hawaii. I think it will be a good introduction to see all the islands. It doesn't mean that it's the way to do it but I think it's a great start. Then we can use that experience to explore our favorite island.

This post is part of Monday are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips. Check out other traveler's dream.

Photo Friday: English Tea on the high sea

Sometimes (or most of the time) the best experience we have had during our traveling is when we didn't plan for.. This is one of the case. During our cruise trip on Carnival, after we had checked the kids in for their kiddie program, we walked around and stumbled upon the English tea at the cigar room. Typically, we probably wouldn't pay attention or have enough interest to go check them out ourselves. But the setting and the little pieces of pastries were calling our name. We sat down and enjoyed our little quiet time san kids in the afternoon over the sea.. Ah.. That's what I call 'vacation'...

Check out other Photo Friday participants around the world at Delicious Baby.

Wordless Wednesday - Disney Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise - Day 5 - Grand Cayman

Here we were in Grand Cayman. We woke up early than usual today. I had packed what we need for the excursion today the night before. I knew that we would have little time to prepare. I'm glad I did. After quick breakfast, we headed down to get our tender ticket. It was so easy. I thought we might have to wait for a while. But we got the ticket and they told us to head down there right away. The time zone was a bit confusing for me. I didn't bring my brain to work during vacation. But basically, Cayman Islands is 1 hour behind the ship time.

When we got of the tender ship it was around 8am ship time. So it was still 7am local time.. Way too early for anything to open. I had booked an excursion with Captain Bryan. The meeting time was at 10am local time.. We had about 2-3 hours of free time. So I had to change my plan. Originally, I was planning to go on excursion first and then check out 7 miles beach afterward. With so much time on hand we decided to go to the beach first. I'm glad we did.. I will tell you why later..

We took a short walk to check out where we were supposed to meet and then headed back to the port area to catch a taxi to the beach. The ride was quick and not that expensive. $4 per person. They dropped us off at The Reef Restaurant. We walked to the beach area and were in awe. The beach is so beautiful and it was so peaceful. Got there early enough we felt like we own this private beach. In the beginning, the kids were afraid to get in the water. They just played with the sand and the wave. But soon enough, we all were in the water trying to catch some waves. The sand was soft and fine.. We could have stayed there all day. Next time, I wouldn't bother book any excursion.

After about 2 hours, we packed up with a lot of resistence from the kids. I was sad to leave as well but was also excited for our next adventure to the Sting Ray City. We rinsed off at the restaurant and caught a taxi back to the meeting place. Now that we got accustomed to the time, we started to worry if we would get back on-time. The schedule for this excursion was from 10:30am-1pm so it means we would get back 2pm (ship time).. Very close to the last tender time of 3:15pm.. I was glad we did the beach first since I don't see how we can fit the beach time after the excursion. So they were several fellow cruisers who were worried about the timing as well. They were talking about leaving earlier so we could get back sooner.

We got on a bus around 10-ish and headed to the pier. I guess it was the loading/landing site for all boats to Sting Ray City. The reason we picked this excursion with Captain Bryan was for the sail boat. And he didn't disappoint us at all. The crews were very nice. The boat ride took about 30 minutes. It was a nice relaxing ride. Once we got to the Sting Ray location, we saw several boats from various companies. At first we planned to just take turn going into the water. But the water was shallow enough that we took the kids down with us. We still had to hold them but it's manageable. Miss J was afraid in the beginning. But later on she felt clamer. I got to kiss one of the sting ray. They said I will have good luck for 7 years. We will see about that. :) The sting rays swam all around us. It was an amazing experience. So much fun.. The skin was as soft as velvet. It wasn't what I expected. After 30 minutes in the water, we headed back on the boat and headed to the snorkeling sites. The excursion included 2 snorkel sites. I wasn't too impress with what I saw though. There weren't as many fish as what we saw in Cozumel. I guess it was more for diving than snorkeling.

Then it was time to head back to town. Mr. Z felt asleep on the way. I would have done the same way if I didn't have to hold on to him. It was so nice. We had such a great time there. The water as blue as the clear sky above.. We got back on the bus around 1:30pm local time which means we had about 45 minutes to get back to the port. The bus ride was very stressful for us since we kept checking our time. The bus arrived at 2:14pm.. Got 1 minute to spare. But when we saw the line for the tender boats, we started to feel panic. We didn't know if we will make it to the boat. But then we realized that most people in line were also on the Victory. We made it! But we didn't get a chance to pick up any souvenir at all.. Not even rum cake or my Hard Rock Cafe pin. Well, guess we have to come back.

Once we got on the ship, we took shower and planned to take a quick nap before dinner. Guess what.. We all slept till the next morning. We were that tired.. We didn't even make it to dinner that night. What a fun day in Grand Cayman!

Carnival Cruise - Day 4 - Another Fun Day @ Sea

Day 4 on our trip .. We got another Fun Day @ Sea. We took it easy today. Slept in and had late breakfast. Oh.. this is what I call V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N.. No set plan. After breakfast, we got ready to explore and enjoy the ship. We started off at the swimming pool. I found that the pool in the morning hours were more child-friendly. There were more kids in the pool than drunken adults. I guess they still hung over in their cabins.

After a good couple hours in the pool, we dried up and picked up a set of putt-putt ball and clubs. We didn't get to try it on the first day. It was very busy. Mr. Rojo thought he was in a real golf course and felt the need to show golfer etiquette and wanted to let another group ahead of us. I had to remind him that.. it's a putt-putt.. Plus we were on the ship.. what's the hurry.. Also the group in front of us wasn't gonna be any faster than us.

We dropped the kids off at Camp Carnival after the golf game and headed to our cabin for some power naptime. Mr. Rojo went to visit his familiar faces in the Casino. He did pretty well in the casino. We are not big gambler. We set a limit of the money we are willing to loose and that's his fun money. It's just like purchasing another ticket to an excursion. :)

After dinner, we went to the Bingo game and Magic Show. It was a fun night. We didn't win anything but the kids enjoyed the show. The guy was pretty funny. After that we headed back to our room and was greeted by Mr. Dino.. A big day ahead of us tomorrow. Grand Cayman!

I know there were a lot of activities at night that we could join. But for me, that's the beauty of cruising.. You can do as much or as little as you want. There is no rule.

Check out what we have done so far on this cruise here.

Carnival Cruise - Day 3 - Cozumel, Mexico

I hope everyone still enjoys our journal for our trip on Carnival Cruise. Now that we were on 3rd day of our trip, it was the day at port of call - Cozumel. I had planed today excursion to be at Chankanaap Park. We woke up a bit earlier than usual but still not early enough to see the ship arrived at the port. We got off the ship around 8-ish.. if my memory serves me right. This is one of the reason I want to start our blog.. Gosh.. where did my sharp as a knife memory go? I can't even remember what I had yesterday. Anyway, off topic.. back to Cozumel..

::Getting Around::

Once we got off the ship, we realized that we had forgotten to bring our floating strap for our underwater camera that we bought specifically for this trip with us. So Mr. Rojo had to run back to the cabin and fetch it. The port is connected to a small shopping plaza. Basically, it is a tourist trap, just perfect for us. hehe.. We almost caved in and rent a Jeep to drive around the island. But being an obessive, compulsive, controlling person, I didn't feel right renting without knowing the fact beforehand. And I would not know how much the rent should be and I could see rip-off report in the near future. So against our temptation, we decided to stay with our plan. We walked to the end of the strip mall and got on the taxi. I was so afraid that we wouldn't be able to communicate. This excursion was the only one that we would be on our own. No tour, no Carnival guide.. but.. There is no need to fear, Underdog is here.. oh.. wait.. It's not the movie.. Anyway, it seems everyone can speak good English for communication. Heck better than some South Floridians I met in the Miami mall.

::Things to do::

We hopped on the taxi for $10 and headed to the park. Using the coupons I printed from their site, we saved an extra $4 for all 4 of us. The entrance fee were $16 per adult and $8 per kid. Money saved here means more for our shopping.. yeah..

We arrived to the park fairly early. We didn't have any problem finding a chair to sit. Actually, it was kinda lonely.. Just us and probably another group at the beach at that time. We settled down and tested out the water. I sent Mr. Rojo to the water first. Well, lucky him.. He found that his snorkel didn't work properly. It was a new one and did I tell you that we hardly snorkel. So we couldn't figure out what wrong with it just that it didn't take in as much air as it should.

We took turn getting into the water for an offshore snorkeling. It was really nice. I was amazed at how many fish I saw. And I didn't even have to swim too far. The kids were just playing right there by the entrance to the snorkeling area. I was worried a bit that they would get swept away by the wave. Next time, we will buy a floaty vest for them. So we don't have to rent it there. We went to the diver shop there to rent fins for us and floating vest for the kids. They only had one kid size vest! One! How could that be? Don't they know that most of the time there will be more than one child in the cruise.

After about an hour at the snorkeling site, we moved to the small beach area so Miss J and Mr. Z could really enjoy some beach time. I wasn't impressed with that area. It was just a rope-off area with stagnant water near the restaurant. However, they did enjoy their time there building sand castle (not so much a castle but a lump of sand) and floating in the calm water. I understand that this park is more about snorkeling and swimming with the dolphin so I wouldn't say that Cozumel doesn't have nice beach. We just didn't have a chance to check it out this trip. There will always be a repeat trip. :)

Later we moved to the pool area. I really like it. It's next to the dolphin area so you could enjoy the show. The pool was really nice with the bar right there that you can swim up and enjoy your drink. It wasn't busy at all. It was a nice way for us to rinse off our salty feeling from the beach. I wouldn't mind stay there for a whole day. But Mr. Rojo was hungry and we didn't want to mess with hungry man. :) We headed for lunch.

::Place to eat::

We had lunch at the restaurant there. La Laguna Beach Grill was right on the beach. The service was great. Along with music. Mr. Rojo couldn't resist requesting La Bamba.. tourist! I had Fajitas which I think it was delish! Maybe I was too hungry or maybe it was the place.. Either way, it was paradise meal. The breeze and the food was so nice. I didn't want to move.

::More things to do::

Before we headed out, we walked the botanical garden. We didn't really slow down to see all the plant. The heat was too much for us. Yup.. even us. So we caught another taxi back to the pier.

We decided to head back to the ship and had quick shower before headed back to town.

There were a few places that we had in mind.. First I needed to check out Hard Rock Cafe to get my pin. I was rather disappointed at the pins collection this time around. I loved to get guitar pin of each city I visited. They had a good design that really capture the city. But this time, I didn't see anything that give me Cozumel feeling. So I was on the fence about getting the pin there. Mr. Rojo suggested that we should check out another HRC in town which is about 10 blocks away.

Then we walked around the plaza a little bit before decided to walked to check out another HRC about 10 blocks away. If we had more time, I think it would be really neat to head to town and really experience the town.

Then we headed to Starbucks. Mr. Rojo couldn't resist order coffee in the 90 degree weather. Crazy man! He got his Cozumel Starbuck mug for his collection. It was a long day.

We got back on board and waited for the sail away. We were able to find a hidden door to access the front of the ship on a few decks. Unfortunately, the best one is reserved for crew member only. No chance to post for Titanic moment on this ship.

The day was over but the night was just begun. We washed up again and got ready for dinner. The next day would be Fun Day @ Sea so it was a great schedule. We had a break from a long day in Cozumel. Next trip we will definitely look into snorkeling tour or renting a Jeep. Adios.

Carnival Cruise - Day 2 - Fun Day @ Sea

This day was a fun day at sea. It was a day to explore and totally relax. Lots of you guys should try this sometimes on your vacation. DO NOTHING. It's really enjoyable and addictive. We woke up not so early today. I decided last night to order room service for breakfast. It wasn't such a good idea. Our family needs meat for breakfast and continental breakfast from the room service didn't have any eggs or bacon.

After breakfast we made our way to the Camp Carnival. We didn't get a chance to register the kids yesterday. The registration process was fairly simple. They gave you a cellphone that we would keep for the entire week and we would need to show that whenver we pick them up. Off they went... At last.. Time alone..

Mr. Rojo and I looked at each other with disbelief. We were alone. What were we gonna do by ourselves. First stop, we checked out the casino. It's one of the to-do list for Mr. Rojo. Being New Jersey boy, he had spent countless hours during his college years in Atlantic City. So casino was one of the pro for the Carnival cruise over Disney for him. I walked around and tried to play some slot machine but they looked too confusing to me. Plus the smoke was unbearable for me. So we decided to take a quick nap. Then it was lunch time and we picked the munchkins up from the camp carnival. I anxiously waited to hear the verdict from them.... They LOVED it!

After lunch, we walked around and checked out other areas like the gift shop. It's nothing much just a typical gift shop. I was hoping for more stuff. But I guess I should be thankful. :) Otherwise, our expense might get even higher. I spot the ornament that I will get later for my collection. Checked one off from my list.

Then we headed back to Camp Carnival for a build-a-bear workshop. It was a family activity that we got to do with them. This wasn't a Build-A-Bear company but a Carnival version. You bought a bear and a set of outfit. Then they gave you an extra Carnival outfit. Then you stuff the animal with your kids. Mr. Z picked a fireman outfit for his pal. He named him ..whatelse.. Thomas. Miss J picked a girl sailor outfit and named her Faley. I have no idea where she got that name from. But it's cute name. After the workshop, we dropped them off there for another hour. Then we promised them the pool time afterward.

The Pool... hmm.. Don't expect the Olympic pool size here. There are 3 pools on Lido deck. It's not fancy pool. I think the time to go to the pool is also important and should be taken into consideration. After a few days we noticed that the pool in the morning had more kids and less rowdy. The afternoon time in the pool could be rather rowdy from adults who had worst behavior than kids. They enjoyed the whole afternoon with some break of frozen yogurt.. Oh... The frozen yogurt... We lived on them for the whole week. Now we are going through the withdraw phase of frozen yogurt. It's that good!

Then it was dinner time. Tonight was a formal night. So Mr. Rojo needed to run to self-service laundry room for a quick ironing. We didn't know about all the different props Carnival setup in the Lobby deck and Promenade deck. Maybe it's a good thing! That's how you ended up spend your child college fund from cruising. Each picture can cost up to $20. And sometime you are so into a moment that you forgot to even ask how much till they ring up the total. We almost made that mistake..

I didn't want to bore everyone to death with what we eat every single night on the cruise. But tonight was special night. It was Lobster night. My poor husband now allergics to shell fish. He loved to eat lobsters. We think his quota for lobsters in this life is up. He has consumed all the lobsters allowed for life so no more. NO LOBSTER FOR YOU!.. Well, being a good wife I couldn't NOT order lobster. I just wanted him to know that he didn't miss out much. And I wasn't exaggerated. The dish looked good but the taste was so salty even my can-eat-anything-and-everything taste bud couldn't stand it. So I was only ordered one dish. No repeat for lobster like I was originally planned.

After dinner, it was nice to get back to the room that had been clean up before bed. That's one of the thing that I will miss the most. Better service than a hotel in my humble opinion. They clean up your room twice a day. Plus we loved to see what animal will make its way to our room.

We were too wiped out to even venture out for the show that night. That's one thing that we didn't take advantage of that much, the nightly show... You can call me snob but I just didn't feel like watching it after seeing Disney production on Disney Cruise. I'm sure it will be a great show. But sometimes and somehow I rather sleep in.. It's my vacation.. so I can do what I want, right?

Carnival Cruise - Day 1 - Port of Miami

Good morning, Miami.. We got up real early today and drove down to see our friend who generously (with no choice) agreed to let us park our car at their house and drove us to the port. Once we got to their house, we spent about an hour talking and catching up. Then off we went.

We got to the port right around 10:30am. The security check-in was painless. We got through within 10 mins. Then we went up to the terminal and checked-in at the Carnival counter. I already did all my paperwork online (Fun Pass and register for Sail & Sign). So basically, I just handed them our passports and 2 minutes later we were done. We got our boarding group # at number 4. Mr. Rojo thought we should have been here earlier and we might get group #1. Oh! well, I think it's good enough.

We waited around in the terminal for about an hour. The kids were running around and enjoyed the excitement of the cruise. By 11:45am, they started to board the VIP and wedding group. Then the boarding continued. I have to say it was fairly easy and I'm glad we decided to follow one of Mr. Rojo's coworker to get there early. We boarded the ship by noon. Perfect time for lunch!!!

Once we got on the ship, we headed to our stateroom just to see where it is and see if we will be in luck to put our carry-on there. We found it but no such luck on the room to be ready yet. No problem. We were on Verandah deck just one floor down from the Lido deck which is the restaurant and pool deck. What a perfect location! We headed there and found a table by the window. A quick lunch and our vacation was officially begun.

After lunch, we just wandered around to get a hang of the ship and location of different places like Children playroom aka Camp Carnival. My first impression was not good. The room looks much smaller than Disney. But I promised myself that I won't compare the cruise. Otherwise, it will ruin my fun. So I gave it a benefit of the doubt and would wait and see how the kids took it.

Before we could sail, everyone had to attend the drill. Our room was assigned to Muster Station G. Note to any future cruisers, looked at the sign on the boat. It will point you to which direction you have to go for your Muster Station. Well, we didn't. So we walked all the way to the front of the ship and found that our station was in the back right on top of our room. Duh!!

After the drill, we headed back and went up to the Lido deck for the sail away.. Woo hoo!! Bye bye Miami.. See you in a few days..

Then we just enjoyed the view at the back of the ship. This soon would be our favorite spot to just sit there and relax. Our luggages hadn't arrived yet and it was time for dinner already. So we just headed there without changing.

We had early sitting in Pacific Dining room. Our servers were from Indonesia and Phillippines. They were very nice. The food was ok. Nothing to write home about.. Really.. I'm not a picky person. I can pretty much eat everything. But these are not something that are memorable in my opinion. But on the flip side, if you don't like what you have, just ask for different dish. That's the beauty of cruising. I always ordered a couple starters to try it out.

By the time we got to our room after dinner, the luggages were there. So I started to unpack and put everything away. After shower, we were too tired to even wander out. We went to bed at 9pm!!! We asked our steward to setup the room with 2 twin beds and 2 bunks. But we quickly found that it wasn't a good setting. So the next day we asked him to change it to one king bed. By the way, the bed does feel comfortable here.

OH.. as far as the ship itself. I will have a separate review later on what my thoughts are on this ship.. To be continued...

Carnival Cruise - Day 0

We started our vacation one day earlier than the cruise. We traveled down to Florida on Saturday. It's much cheaper to drive than to fly 4 people. We headed out around 8am and stopped to get our most important food for our trip - Dunkin Donuts. I hope to use donuts as my bribing chips.

The drive was very pleasant and we made a really good time. We got into one hitch when we ignored the advice of our faithful friend -Miss Magellen. There was a big traffic backup in downtown due to contruction. So you can guess next time we will follow her direction faithfully. Mr. Rojo took up most of the drive on this trip. I took the driver seat for about 3 hours and Mr. Rojo took care of it the rest of the way. What a big change a couple years ago. :)

We got into Florida state line by 1pm so we should arrive at our destination by 6pm. Right in time for dinner. We have driven from Atlanta to Florida for several times but we never stopped at the Florida Visitor Center. I have to say I was impressed. It was nice, clean and well organized. There was even free juice for travelers. A little break helped the kids to be able to hold up on a drive fairly well.

One thing I know for sure was that we can't make it without our portable DVD player. It's the best invention for modern day travelers with kids. I think they watched about 5 movies in all and it helped with the fighting and boredom. I also packed a few snacks and drinks so that we didn't have to stop for drinks and snacks all the time. Food is always a good choice when they started to get fiesty. Also break time for them to spend their energy half way of the trip is always a good idea.

Once in Florida, we arranged to have dinner with a few friends. Florida was like a home away from home for us. We still have so many friends there. It was nice to meet them and catch. Maybe next cruise we can do it together with them. Dinner lasted a lot longer than we planned. We closed the restaurant at 11pm. We headed back to our friend's home where we stayed for the night. Tomorrow we had to wake up early to drive down to Miami at 7am.. Hope we could wake up!

Back from Paradise

We are back! Sorry if I haven't updated the blog for over the week. We were just so busy enjoying our cruise. Plus I'm too cheap to pay for internet access to update on the ship. :) There will be more posts in detail of our cruise. The kids absolutely loved it!! We survived 7 nights together so now we are starting to look at the next one.

Can you tell how much we love cruising?

Underwater Camera

For our cruise, I have planned a couple excursions at the ports of call. Since we will be going to the Carribean, it is logical to have a good chunck of water activities. One of those activities is snorkeling. Then, it occurred to me that we don't have an underwater camera. I don’t plan to be a professional photographer for National Geographic magazine.. But I would still like to have the ability to take some pictures underwater while we are swimming with the Stingrays.

So I started searching for our options. Basically, you can go two ways. One is to get a waterproof housing to protect our current digital camera. Now with this option, there are a cheap way and a right way. The cheap way is universal waterproof case. For less than $30 you can get a DiCAPac WP-500 Underwater Waterproof Digital Camera Housing Case. I have never used one but I have read a lot of horror stories about it. Plus, Mr. Rojo said.. why don't we just use the Ziploc if we are gonna buy this! Point taken.. Next!

Next option for the housing is to buy brand specific housing that make for your camera. For our case, Sony has a Marine pack for our camera. But... yes.. there is a 'but'. Ready.. Sony MPKTHE Marine Pack for the DSC-T Series Digital Cameras costs $199.. Ouch!!! With that much money I think I'm better off buying a new digital camera. Plus, Mr. Rojo said it didn’t actually list the model of our camera.

Hence, we moved on to our 2nd option. Getting a waterproof digital camera. There are several choices to pick from. I started to feel overwhelmed. But we have narrowed down our choices quickly by budget.

The first choice is Olympus Stylus 850SW 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver) for the price range around $260-270. It's a better alternative than a Sony Marine pack. The nice thing about the Olympus is that it allows video recording for a wee bit of 10 seconds.. Hey.. 10 seconds is a good chunk of time underwater I might say. :) Also this won't be a choice for a serious diver. It will only go up to 10 feet deep. But for us, we just want something for the snorkeling. I mean if Mr. Rojo decides he wants to take up on Scuba diving then I will be happy to oblige to a better camera.. shhhhhh

The second choice is actually another Olympus. Olympus Stylus 1030SW 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Wide Angle Zoom (Silver) has bigger resolution and can go down deeper. With slightly higher price, I am still thinking about it. So it's the tough decision that needs to be made soon. We are running out of time if we want to order it online.. By the way… This is the camera that Mr. Rojo is jockeying for. I guess this is his way of buying a high tech device for the trip. And no Mr. Rojo, you still can’t get those high tech infrared goggles…

19 Days to our Fun Ship Cruise!!!

Last night, Mr. Rojo reminded me that it will be less than a few weeks now before our cruise! So today I logged into Carnival website to complete online registration and print out necessary documents.

'Your Fun Ship Cruise Departs in 19 Days' This is what I saw on the site. And it now hits me that our vacation is only a few sleeps away.

-Fun Pass complete and print - checked

-Sail and Sign form complete and print - checked

-Cruise document review and print - checked

-Luggage tag print - checked

-Excursion choose and book - checked

-Shop for beach stuff - Not yet

Argg.. I have to go shopping! So far, I have already bought snorkeling sets for the kids. We didn't buy anything expensive since I don't even know if they will use them. But it's good thing to have our own. I shudder at thinking of using a public one that is provided by the excursions. Mr. Rojo reminds me that he finds it disgusting that you have to rent bowling shoes. So, he goes and buys his own even though I can count on my one hand how many times he's used to go bowling. So I think either this weekend or next weekend we will need to hit the diving shop or the sporting goods store to check out what we can find. I admit that I probably won't buy the best one since we don't even know how often we will do this. I'm sure my gadget hungry husband will want the most advanced high tech snorkel. I'm sure if they offer some sort of infrared goggles he'll be sure to put in a case why those should be the ones that we get. He'll probably say it would be used to spot sharks or something like that... Although, My diver friend said that it's good idea to pay a little so we won't have any leakage issue. Thanks Sue! Sorry Mr. Rojo, that does not mean that you can get those high tech goggles...

I probably will have to come up with a list of things to pack and things to buy. I still have a lot of stuff from previous cruise that I can reuse like beach toys, beach shoes. We bought $1 toys from Walmart and thought if we lost it then it's fine. But we still have it all minus one beach ball that was carried away by the tide which Little Z always reminds us. Right now, I don't even know what I need.. Ok... Stop and breath... Target here I come!

Our Cruise Cost so far...

Budget friendly vacation is always my top priority. But I have never been the type who can totally stick to the budget. Hence, I'm really attracted to cruising since the cost is pretty much fixed. Unless, we go on a shopping spree at the port or have $100 meal. Typically, I don't really budget on how much we want to spend on vacation. For this trip, I will be happy if we can keep it under $3000. Let's see what is the cost so far:

Carnival Cruise cost for 2 adults and 2 children : $2,012.40
Port Excursion - Grand Cayman (Stingray City Tour) : $132.00
Port Excursion - Orcho Rio (Bamboo Club) : $168.00
Port Excursion - Cozumel (Chankanaab National Park tickets) : $48.00
Transportation in Cozumel approx. : $20.00
Food and shopping : $120.00

So I think this will be the first time that I will have rough idea of our vacation budget. So far if I can keep everything in this range we will come under budget by $500. Not bad for a 7 days vacation in the carribean for a family of 4!

We got a room!

Don't get a wrong idea! This is family-friendly blog after all. We have a confirmed room for our Carnival Cruise this May. When we booked a cruise, I opted for the cheapest ticket which is Guarantee Room. It means I am guaranteed a room for at least the same category as I booked but I won't know my room until closer to the sailing date. I just checked my reservation today and found that they have assigned a room for us.

I was afraid that we will get a room at the bottom of the ship (which is probably where will be even if we reserve a room since that's all we can afford). But to my surprise I have a room up on the Verandah deck. The location of the room is perfect as well. This deck is one deck below the pool and the buffet area. What a bonus!! We don't need to wait for the elevator to get to food and fun!! I mean there is a chance that it might be noisy at night. But I'm sure that we will be too tired to care anyway. And based on information I gathered during my research the higher the deck the more expensive it is.. So I will say we got a good deal on this one!

I have also completed the pre-cruise registration and ready to print out my Fun Pass..

The last step on preparing for this cruise is comfirming the reservation for the excursion in Grand Cayman. We decided to go with Buccaneer Stingray City Catamaran excursion. The main reason is that I have never been on a catamaran before so it will be nice to get to sail in it. Now I just have to wait to get email back from them.

41 more days to go!!!!

Five Finds for Friday - Cruising

TGIF.. everyone!

This Friday I can't help but talk about planning for a cruise. As I recently just got an email reminder from my cruise agency company for the rest of the balance on my cruise. During the process of planning this cruise, I have found several sites that are very helpful during my process. Here are my Five Find for Friday this week.

1) Cruise Critic - An amazing website and active message boards with load of information. Here from this website that I learn that people do cruise religiously! The information section is well organized. Best of all, the message board is full of active cruisers who are willing to share their wealth of information and answer any questions.

2) Cruise Compete - This site is like a Lending Tree of cruise booking. You submit your itenerary and they will send to cruise agencies who will respond with their quote. Even if you don't feel like spend a large sum of your money to someone you have never met, this is still a good site to get your baseline and shop around with travel agent company.

3) Cruise Mates - Another online cruise information and community. You can never have too much information when it comes to plan your vacation.

4) Fodors - The destination guide website that provides information not only for land travel but cruise travel as well. It's good to find out what other activities you can do at the port of call. If you are more adventurous you might even find it more interesting than follow typical port excursions.

5) Expedia - I didn't use expedia at this trip because I have no need to find airline flight or hotel. But if you are the DIY type and plan to book your flight and hotel seperately then this is a site worth looking. But keep in mind that most travel agency will handle all your travel arrangement together which might be better choice and less headache.

Well, hope this will be helpful on your next cruise planning. Enjoy cruising!

Check out other tips from Frugal Friday here.

13 Things I will pack on my cruise

I know it's still a few months away before I will go on my cruise. But I can't contain my excitement. Along with my obsessive compulsive to have to start planning as soon as I can. Today Thursday Thirteen will be about 13 things I will pack for my cruise.

1) Sunscreen - A must for a vacation in the carribean

2) Sunglass - No amount of hat will be enough to block the Sun. Plus I don't want to squin my eyes on my picture.

3) Croc - I need to get a new croc that is not a winter version. Need an original croc or maybe a more girlie looking one.

4) Bonnie - I don't want to test myself so I'd rather be safe than throw up. ;)

5) Swimming suit - Of course, we can't go on a cruise without getting in the water.

6) Leapster game - No.. not for me but when you travel with your kids you also pack for your kids. And I will say most of the stuff on my packing list will be for them.

7) Waterproof card container - I can use that on the beach day so I don't have to worry about losing my stuff

8) Goggle - Gotta have it since I wear contact lens.

9) Snorkel gears - We are not the regular snorkeler (is it a word?). But I know that I would rather get my own since this will not be my last carribean vacation.

10) Digital Camera - A must in our vacation. I'm still debating on the waterproof case which cost more than typical low-end digital camera. So I might just pick up a cheap waterproof disposable camera in that case.

11) Extra batteries - I know that where we go will have pretty everything we can get. But I just don't want to get put in a situation where we run out of the batteries and I can't get it.

12) First Aid kit - With 2 kids, we are bound to have some accidents so bandage in Princess and Spider will help sooth their pain in the pinch.

13) Our Passports - Can't leave the house without it. Now with the new rule in effect. For us, we have no issue of applying for passport. I got that cover 6 months ago. :)

This is just the main things but I'm sure there will be more in my suitcase.

7 days with Dora?

Royal Carribean is launching a new Theme Cruise - Nickelodeon Family Cruise.

Can you take 7 days with Dora and SpongeBob?

Smart Saving on Cruising

As our cruise vacation is approaching (Yeah!!!), I have learned so much during this process. A lot of people might wonder why since this is not our first cruise. True. But this is the first cruise that I handle all the booking and planning myself. Our Disney Cruise was handled by a friend so I didn't have to worry about shopping for the cheapest one or learning other tips from other cruisers (much to my regret though). So this time, I determined to learn more and be a more educated traveler (or cruiser in this matter).

So here are some of the tips that I learned and did.

1) Book the cheapest stateroom available - This advice might not be for everyone since we all have different priority. For me, this trip my goal is to explore and enjoy ourselves outside our room. So room size or amenity is not my top priority. My budget on the other hand is on the top of my priority. For us, I went for the lowest catgeory which is IS. This is the Interior Stateroom - No Guarantee. It means we won't know where our room will be yet. It's a bit of the gamble at this point. I figure I will pack a lot of Bonnie and Dramamine.

2) Book your excursion yourself - The price of the excursion offering my the cruise company can be as high as 20% more than private tour at the port. However, I have to put a note here that I also book an excursion via cruiseline on certain port. It will depend on your comfort level. Some people just feel safer going with the cruise knowing that they will wait for you if there is any problem. For me, I book an excursion in Jamaica via the ship only because it's cheaper than if I go directly with the resort.

3) Don't try to do too much - Sometimes the best saving is to do nothing at the port. After all, the best way to explore is maybe wandering around. Again, make sure that you have good understanding on the safety in each port. I decided to forego any excursion in Mexico. We will take a cab to the park and enjoy a day on the beach.

4) Stay with friend before boarding the ship - If you like most cruisers who have to fly or drive to the port the day before, the hotel cost will add to your budget. We are lucky enough to have a few friends in FL so we will crash at their place instead of paying for a night in a hotel.

126 Days to go..

Yup. That's my countdown for our cruise this May to the Carribean on the Carnival Victory. Well, finally I have made up my mind on the excursion on Ocho Rios. One port down and 2 more to go...

In Orcho Rios, I decided to go with Carnival excursion to Bamboo Beach Club. As typical with my luck when I tried to do it online the system is not available. So I will have to wait till tomorrow to do so.. Gosh!!! Don't they want my money. I hope I won't change my mind till then.

The Bamboo Beach club seems to be a nice, low-key, all-inclusive beach club that we can spend the rest of the day after the Dunn's River Falls. Plus it doesn't hurt that we don't have to worry about food and drink. The kids will get a chance to enjoy some beach time there. The price of this excursion is not bad for $45 if that price will remain the same after they upgrade the system. :)

The reason that we didn't book Dunn's River Falls because our son age doesn't meet the minimum age so they won't allow us to book that excursion. I guess on the bright side we will get to just have yet another relaxing day and save some money for more shopping. I know that most of the review for Jamaica says Dunn's River Falls is a must but quite frankly I have seen prettier falls in Thailand. So I rather spend time on the beautiful beach which is what Jamaica is famous for and indulge in food and drink.. Just think about it already want me to push the fast forward button to our trip... 126 days to go!!!!!

Daydream...Hawaii cruising

Hawaii has been one of the destination that I have been daydreaming about for years. I don't know what with it. Might be all those travel shows and articles that talk about how beautiful it is or might be just something that might help me feel more like my homeland a little bit more. Thailand is a tropical country and where I grew up was in the South that we have beaches everywhere. So in the sense, Hawaii has that and more.

Thanks to the highspeed highway for the 21st century that allow me to daydreaming more effectively with photo and articles. There are too many things to do with so little money so I don't even know where to start on planning when I go to Hawaii.

So my first choice is Hawaii Cruise with NCL America. I know.. cruising won't give you justice what each island has to offer. But I consider this as the sample trip so that I will get a chance to explore Hawaii. And if God provides, I will have a chance to revisit each island again.

NCL America is the only cruise line that can cruise Hawaii islands without having to visit another island outside the State since they are registered as American ships. There are always negative and positive reviews about the ships. But I believe that you make your own fun for your trip. If you go on vacation with the negative attitude and expect everything to be perfect then why bother, mind as well stay at home and watch Travel channels.

Currently, there are 3 ships that cruise around Hawaii islands but I believe NCL America will retire one of the ship this Feb. Well, I sure hope that they will keep the other two ships till I can save enough money. :)

This cruise is actually the first one I considered for our vacation this year. But after looking at the price and tickets (since we can't possibly drive from GA to HI, we will have to fly), I think this will be more long term project and need more funding.

Wait for me Hawaii.. I shall see you some days soon.