This Mother’s Day, why not give the mom who loves traveling something to help prioritize herself while she’s on the road? Research has proven that consistent self-care is linked to improved physical, mental, and emotional health.
07.04.2024 - 13:13 / insider.com
My kids are teenagers now, but we've been taking them on cruises since they were tiny. Each time we returned from our days at sea, I told my husband how much I wanted to take his parents on a cruise with us, as it seemed like the perfect multigenerational vacation to me for a variety of reasons. My father-in-law passed away unexpectedly last year, and the devastating loss made me even more determined to get my mother-in-law, who my kids call Grammy, onto a cruise ship with my family.
We finally planned an eight-day cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess this March, and we were all so excited. Not only did a cruise ship seem like a perfect spot to keep me, my husband, our kids, and Grammy all entertained for an entire week, but I thought my mother-in-law, who enjoys a slower pace of life, would enjoy the build-your-own-schedule style of a cruise.
The multigenerational trip , for which one of my mother-in-law's best friends tagged along as her travel partner, proved to be an unforgettable memory for all of us. My kids left the ship feeling like they got to know their grandmother — who lives far from our Florida home in Pennsylvania — even better, and so did I.
My mother-in-law had never cruised before, so we chose to book the Caribbean Princess because we'd had great experiences with Princess Cruises before. Plus, it had a great mixture of days at sea and ports of call, and the ports we visited were easy ones to navigate: Princess Cays in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas.
The trip was a perfect environment for making memories with my mother-in-law and her friend. On days at sea, there were tons of things for us to do: family activities, like dinner or trivia, that we'd all do together; individual activities, like paper-flower-making classes for the retirees in our group; and activities in the ship's teen club for my kids. On port days, we planned excursions through Princess Cruises that allowed everyone in our party to experience the destination, regardless of speed or physical abilities.
While we focused on port excursions that offered driving tours and other slower-paced ways to see the destinations, my mother-in-law was a great sport when it came to being adventurous. In Puerto Rico, she climbed 100 steps to the top of a tower in the El Yunque National Forest tropical rainforest and tried mofongo for the first time on the streets of San Juan. She also rode a Skyride to a spot 700 feet above the harbor in St. Thomas to take in beautiful, panoramic views and climbed out onto rocks overlooking the beach on Princess' private island, Princess Cays.
Related stories
Seeing their grandmother's desire to see and learn new things was fun for my kids, and as experienced travelers, they
This Mother’s Day, why not give the mom who loves traveling something to help prioritize herself while she’s on the road? Research has proven that consistent self-care is linked to improved physical, mental, and emotional health.
In a time of high inflation and stretched budgets, cruises reign supreme. Since most packages are pretty all-inclusive, you can pay for a week or more on a ship and then not spend another dime until you return.
Get ready for the Battle of the Cruise Ship Giants out of Miami.
Cruise bookings are predicted to reach record highs this year, but not all itineraries are created equally — especially if you're looking to sail with Disney Cruise Line.
The totality of an eclipse is never long enough. My first total solar eclipse experience in 2017 made for the shortest two minutes of my life: the sun transforming into a blazing diamond ring, the beautiful delirium of darkness, that perfect circle in the sky. Before I knew it, the eclipse was over—and my friends and I were plotting how we could catch our next.
MSC Cruises is offering monumental savings on sailings to warm weather destinations starting at less than $200 per person.
The American Cruise Lines fleet is growing again: Less than a week after announcing it had purchased four former American Queen Voyages ships, American Cruise Lines has revealed that it’s building two additional ships.
This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Allie Hubers , a 29-year-old freelance travel writer. It's been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider verified Hubers' expenses.
The luxury all-inclusive landscape may be rapidly evolving, but Sandals Resorts International remains committed to one of the cornerstones of its long-term success: travel advisors.
The nausea hits me imperceptibly at first—less like the proverbial “rogue wave” that you read about in sailing books, and more like an invisibly rising tide. But the symptoms are the same: the sweats, racing heart, and finally, the inevitable salivating.
The airline network planners closed out the first quarter of 2024 with a bang.
One of the world’s largest and most iconic resort destinations, Atlantis Paradise Island is synonymous with a Bahamas vacation. The resort’s stunning accommodations span five unique hotels. The Royal, the instantly-recognizable pink towers connected by the opulent Bridge Suite, provides the quintessential Atlantis experience in the center of the resort; The Cove, an all-suite luxury hotel tucked between two private beaches, offers indulgent Bahamian splendor; The Reef gives an elevated lifestyle experience with its residential-style accommodations; Centrally located in the resort, The Coral was designed with families in mind; and water-side villas at Harborside Resort offer a secluded escape for the seasoned traveler. The Atlantis Casino, recently updated, is located in The Royal and features 85 gaming tables and over 700 of the latest slot machines. Bespoke experiences can be booked for guests of all five hotels through Atlantis’ Sapphire Services.