Holidays at Sea

Disney Cruise Line will be adding a seasonal flair to its ships this winter.  Starting in early November, each ship will be transformed into Very Merrytime Cruises, featuring Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s-themed events and celebrations. Some of the events being held onboard the ship include Mickey’s Tree-Lighting Magic, Santa’s Winter Wonderland Ball, the Deck the Deck Holiday Party, holiday story time, caroling and seasonally themed crafts and activities.  For Thanksgiving specifically, expect a full feast featuring all of the typical food associated with the holiday. Add in Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in traditional Thanksgiving attire for the kids and NFL football on the jumbo LED screens for the adults, and guests will be treated to a unique experience.  For the December holidays, Christmas will be celebrated at the atrium lobby tree in the morning, and a traditional dinner will be served in the evening. Christmas services will be held on December 24, with a midnight mass on December 25. Services for Hanukkah will be held each day from December 6-14.  To celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, voyages will include a special party featuring live music, sparkling wine in commemorative flutes and a midnight countdown.

Regent in Alaska

Regent Seven Seas Cruises wants your family to cruise Alaska with them next summer by offering a child’s rate of only $999 for sailings in May, June and early July.  Regent is a fully inclusive and luxury cruising experience with ALL of your excursions, drinks, tips and internet included.  Great restaurants, spa and gym are featured on board.  The ship also offers kids and teen clubs for ages 5-17.   The Seven Seas Mariner will sail for 7-nights from Vancouver to Seward (near Anchorage) or reverse through the Inside Passage with a variety of ports and a wide array of outdoor and nature adventures.  Lectures by Terry Breen, Regent’s resident Alaska expert, will bring each port to life for the entire family.

Splashaway Bay at Sea

Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest generation ship, debuting May 2016, will span 16 guest decks, carry 5,497 guests at double occupancy, contain 2,747 staterooms, and for the first time in Royal Caribbean’s history, feature Splashaway Bay, an aquatic adventure park for children. The vessel will be the first of its kind in a new line of Oasis class ships, all of which boast seven “neighborhoods”—Central Park, the Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place, and Youth Zone.  At Splashaway Bay, small children and toddlers can splash around with their friends using sea creature water cannons, glide down winding slides, and swing on a multi-platform jungle-gym. Adults and older children can get in on the action by taking a plunge on the 10-story-high Ultimate Abyss, as well as the Cyclone, the Typhoon and the Supercell waterslides. Harmony of the Seas’ inaugural 2016 season includes 7-night Western Mediterranean sailings in the summer and 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings in the fall.

Captain for a Day

Costa Cruises has developed a program that lets children be Captain for a Day.  The program features an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the role the master fulfills onboard and learn a few tricks of the trade.  There are three levels of packages available.  At the basic level captain trainees get a uniform to wear for the day, full captain’s training plus dinner at the captain’s table with other participants. Your children will learn about signal flags, nautical weather and how to navigate with their own map and compass.  After dinner, the junior captains get a diploma and two 8 x 11 photos. The program will initially be offered on Costa’s Fascinosa and Diadema ships.

Tauck Bridges on the River

Due to greater demand (and new competition from Disney Adventures), Tauck Bridges is doubling the number of family-friendly river cruises it offers in 2017.  The company will offer 20 departures, up from 10 in 2016.  Tauck launched family-friendly river cruises in 2008 and already has three ships designed for families and will add a fourth 2017. Among the features that make the vessels amenable to families are suites with pull-out sofas that allow for three or four people in one stateroom.  Cruises include activities such as a scavenger hunt in the Louvre in Paris; guided cycling near Durnstein, Austria; and interactive cooking demonstrations. In 2016, Tauck’s family river cruises will include the eight-day Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure from Budapest to Regensburg; the 10-day Bon Voyage! France Family River Cruise including a two-night hotel stay in Paris; and the eight-day Castles on the Rhine: Family Riverboat Adventure from Basel to Amsterdam.  We are eager to find out if Tauck will add any other rivers to the family line-up.  Stay tuned!

Children Sail Free in Patagonia

This winter, you can navigate the southernmost Chilean-Argentinian Patagonian channels with your children at no additional cost. One child age 17 or under accompanying a paying adult on three- or four-day excursions sails free with Australis. Bookings must be made by the end of October and are redeemable for trips sailing in December.  Rates for the all-inclusive programs begin at $1,895 per adult for the three-day program and $2,298 for the four-day program.  Australis carries travelers onboard expedition cruise ships to see one of the wildest and most beautiful regions of the world, sailing through Chilean and Argentine Patagonia. With Zodiac tours and landings, the cruise takes you to see the main points of interest through Tierra del Fuego: the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, Cape Horn, glaciers and National Parks. Expert guides in local geography, cultural history, flora and fauna lead all expeditions. Let The Family Traveler combine the short cruise with time in Chile, Argentina or elsewhere in South America for an amazing winter break!

Backroads Meets River Cruising

Backroads has teamed up with AmaWaterways to bring you a revolutionary Backroads experience: incredible River Cruise Biking and River Cruise Walking Trips with an elegant ship as your home base! Enjoy the best of river cruising through some of the world’s most captivating cityscapes and countryside—along with the outstanding Trip Leaders, routes and support that travelers expect from Backroads.  Choose from the Danube, Rhine, Seine and Douro Rivers in Europe as well as Mekong in Asia.  Backroads is chartering a full ship in September 2016.  Their Danube Full Ship Celebration on the new AmaViola will start Prague and then you’ll sail and bike from Passau to Vienna, Bratislava and on to Budapest. All enhanced by the camaraderie of 150 or so fellow Backroads travelers!

Windstar Plus

Windstar Cruise is currently offering a terrific added value package.  Get three free shore events, a private event experience, unlimited beverage package including cocktails and wine by the glass, free internet and tips for their tropical sailings in Tahiti, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Panama including some holiday travel weeks!  Pricing starts at $2,499 per person and sailings are appropriate for ages 7 and older.  There are no kids or teen programs, but the ships are in port nearly every day offering your family plenty of outdoor adventures or relaxation.  Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of small luxury cruise ships known for its intimate, yacht-style experience and unique voyages to the world’s best small ports and hidden harbors.

Fathom That

Carnival Corp. has recently announced the launch of a new cruise brand that will take your family to foreign countries to do cooperative social projects. Called fathom, its first destination will be the Dominican Republic with a sailing from Miami in April 2016. The 710-passenger ship is designed for voluntourism to transport people eager help teach English, work on reforestation or water purification projects, or help a women’s cooperative harvest cocoa.  You will have a choice of projects as well as a choice of traditional excursions such as windsurfing or hiking as well as on board activities.   Travel with a purpose!

Disney Cruise Line Updates

Disney Cruise Line is bringing Star Wars to eight sailings next year.  Star Wars Day at Sea will feature a full day of celebrations including a deck party, meet-and-greets with characters, Star Wars-themed youth activities, unique food and beverage offerings and merchandise.  Also featured will be exclusive at-sea screenings of the Star Wars films and the new Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels.  An evening deck party culminates in a display of themed pyrotechnics, lighting, sound effects and lasers. The cruises will depart Port Canaveral on January 9 and 23; February 6 and 20; March 5 and 19; and April 2 and 16, 2016.

In other Disney news, the Disney Magic will return to New York City in October 2016 with four southbound cruises to the Bahamas and Disney World (park ticket included!) for 7- or 8-nights and a 5- night cruise to Canada to take advantage of the fall foliage.