Age and Temperament

The ancient Greeks said, ‘Know Thyself,’ we say know your kids! Be aware that children differ, and what is a challenge  for one child (sitting in a car for hours) may be a breeze for another (young teen reading an engrossing novel). Plan to bring activities that are suited to your kids, and if you can enlist their help in the planning, all the better – that way, if they get bored they have some responsibility for having chosen what to bring, and will be less likely to complain.For everyone’s sanity, you may wish to consider quiet, complex pasttimes such as crossowrds, drawing books and little projects (see who can list all 50 states!) and keep the beeping, noise-making toys to a minimum. If you do bring electronics, amke sure you also pack replacement batteries. It may be helpful to take your kids to a craft or book store and allow them to choose something special which will keep them occupied during travels. I recently spent two weeks with my 12 year old daughter and my parents on an RV – lots of driving – and it went beautifully because I spent some time thinking ahead about what might be best for her on the long driving stretches. I brought her books, markers and pens, word puzzles and games, as well as a couple of her favorite electronics. She was a fabulous the whole time, and didn’t complain at all…this from the girl who usually compains about being carsick and hungry only 10 minutes into a drive!

Flying

Many, if not most, airlines, will let you choose your seats ahead of time. Try letting your kids have window seats and enjoy the view with them – engage them in the trip they are taking. The exception is for toddlers; make sure you have an aisle seat for those frequent washroom trips, or just so you can both stretch a little during the lfight without disturbing your seatmate/s. If you are traveling with at least two adults and two kids, andyour kids tend to argue, try splitting up and giving both kids window seats in different rows (ideally not one behind the other) and a parent each to keep them company. Also, bring earphones so your kids can listen to music, watch movies and even listen to calming guided meditations (works every time with my daughter). As above, bring along some favorite books and activities that your kid/s can do quietly while sitting.

Driving

First and foremost, stop every once in a while to get out and stretch your legs. Many parents like to push through and try to get somewhere quickly, but this takes its toll on kids and can lead to crankiness and boredom. Getting out and doing some jumping jacks and stretches, letting your kids run around and improve their mood and energy levels will make a big difference. Take a bathroom break and have a snack and a few deep breaths. 

Also, try taking a private vow ahead of time to remain calm and collected no matter what happens. Especially if you encounter unexpected situations, try injecting a little humor and a sense of adventure instead of impatience; your kids are too young to be able to handle things with grace without your guidance. Be a good example!

Surely you’ve heard about last minute travel deals, those fantastic once-in-a-lifetime discounted trips some lucky people seem to take. Are they real? Can you get some of the action?

The answer is it depends. While not everyone is fortunate enough to have a flexible schedule which allows for taking advantage of last minute travel deals, for those who do this phenomenon can mean more trips, more often, due to greatly discounted pricing as compared to regular retail.

How it Works

Hotels, airlines, resorts and even rental car companies often discount their prices for unsold inventory, offering lower prices as the date of travel nears. Especially a few days before and up to the day of travel, you will find many desperate providers trying to lure you in with travel deals and discounts.

One exception of late seems to be cruise lines, but there are still deals to be had. I am told by Royal Caribbean that lately cruising has been so popular that the opposite has begun happening: prices tend to increase closer to sail time as travel agents fight for rooms aboard the popular ships. I can attest to this, as for the last year and a half we have found all the quality ships FULL every time we have wanted to book, and we are very flexible with our travel dates.

While you can obtain last minute travel discounts from most hotels and other providers by contacting them directly, you will also reap huge benefits by being willing to shop around, and by using consolidator websites (explained below). Shopping around generally means using the internet, although you can rely on a trusted travel agent if that suits your style.

There are many websites offering last minute deals, some of which you can find on our Deeper Discounts page. Be sure to check at least two websites to compare prices. Orbitz, for instance, is often cheaper for last minute hotel and car rental rates, but Expedia has better travel reviews as well as pictures to help you determine which hotel you’d like to stay at, and also offers great last minute vacation packages.

Consolidators are companies which handle unsold rooms and cruises for providers. They offer websites like Priceline.com, where you can name your price and even bid for the product you’d like. There are definitely specific strategies you will want to emlpoy to make the most of these sites, and you’ll need to be sure you understand how they work. See the Deeper Discounts page for further explanation.

By playing it smart and being flexible, you can have the vacation of your dreams AND the price of your dreams!

Bahamas Cruising

All the ships that do the Bahamas run from southern Florida are the older, smaller vessels in their respective companies’ fleets, and the Carnival Fascination is no exception. Along with the Imagination, the Fascination has, for several years, done both Bahamas cruises and smaller Caribbean cruises, usually featuring Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. Of late, Carnival has added other ships to this area, including the Destiny, Sensation and Pride. These were not options when we went for our 3 night Bahamas cruise, and the price seemed ‘right,’ so off we went! How bad can it be, right?…

At first glance (embarkation), this ship doesn’t seem all bad. Although small, it seemed like a fun little ship for a weekend cruise, and we happily settled into the main buffet restaurant for our first lunch, as we waited for our room to be ready. Any cruiser will be familiar with this scene. Our disappointment began when we started noticing little things, such as how poorly the staff treated the guests, not even offering a welcome and wiping tables haphazardly so that food and God knows what was left smeared over them, almost without exception. The table we sat at still had bits of egg left over from someone’s morning breakfast, and a ship is usually at its cleanest when welcoming new guests. Yikes! Then, and throughout the cruise, we noticed flies all over the café, landing on food, and while we would expect this in an outdoor market, we have never before nor since seen this on a cruise. Since the flies were everywhere, we thought we might as well go outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Below is a picture of me at that first meal, excited about our cruise.

As far as food quality and selection goes, it varied greatly and was never spectacular. We didn’t expect 5 star dining from this line, especially given the price we paid, but many times there was nothing but hamburgers and hotdogs to eat, and we are vegetarians. The menus seemed to be geared towards overweight, really hungry people who like salt and fat, and indeed there were always line-ups for the fattening, nutritionally-void offerings. Most of the people on board, sad to say, actually were overweight.

The ship itself is dated, with lots of gray and pink, brass and mirrors; something you would see in the 80’s lounge era. This was especially evident in the dining room, which was gaudy beyond belief. In fairness, we heard people remarking about how fabulous it all was, so your opinion may depend upon your tastes, as well as what you are accustomed to. For us, we felt the lack of class and taste throughout the ship and were very disappointed and out of our element. The pool deck was very spare, with bare light bulbs hanging as the only real decor items, and almost always full of rowdy people. The exception was an evening we went out to find a place to sit and found a disheveled mass of tables cluttered with beer cans, drink glasses, ashtrays and plates of half-eaten food, all from many hours earlier. What’s going on here, Carnival? We actually spent the last day in our cabin we disliked the rest of the ship so much.

Our room, an outside, oceanview room, was quite spacious, and luckily the bed was comfortable. Right outside in the hall, the smell of cabin bathrooms pervades at all times, and we kept a towel at our door bottom most times. Without a balcony we had no escape from it. The television had only a few channels and we would up watching the same bad movie (Fool’s Gold) quite a few times.

Here is a picture of me dreading going back on the Fascination after our day in Nassau. A picture tells a thousand words! We were saying ‘Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ all the way along the pier.

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau was the only stop on this cruise, followed by an ‘at sea’ day on the Sunday. Nassau is perhaps the most famous of Bahamian cities, and certainly offers much to do for cruise passengers. You can visit any number of hotels – eg. the Colonial Hilton – and pay a small fee to enjoy their beach and facilities for the day. Below is a shot of the cruise pier from the Hilton’s beach.

Paradise Island, accessible by taxi, water taxi or very long walk, offers shopping, restaruants and the fantastic Atlantis hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel grounds are not open to the public, save for a few tours you can take which allow you limited access. One used to be able to book a room for the day at the adjacent Comfort Inn and receive complimentary Atlantis access, however this has stopped and bookings are a minimum two nights’ stay. If you are willing to book for this time period, you will enjoy unlimited access to all of Atlantis’ incredible properties during your visit. Note that all food and drink expenses will be extra, and at a premium. Atlantis is full of fun things to do, however and you will definitely fill a day with fun. The picture below is a view of Atlantis from the deck of the Fascination.

Almost everyone speaks English in Nassau, and virtually all the local stores accept US dollars. There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants within walking distance of the ship, and many cruisers look for deals on jewelry while cruising. For more tips on shopping in cruise ports, see Jewelry and Souvenir Shopping While Cruising. We enjoyed a Kalik, the delicious island beer, at a local bar (pictured below).

The lovely lady at check-in back in Miami (see Port of Miami) said to us ‘You won’t need your passport in the Bahamas, so just leave it in your safe. All you’ll need is your card (the card the ship gives you which identifies you as a current sailing passenger).’ We did just that, and upon returning to the port were told we could not get back to our ship without passports. Funny enough, we would rather have stayed in Nassau!

Note: As always, click on the pictures for full-sized view. If you have any questions or would like to see more pictures, please feel free to email me at admin@travel-like-a-pro.com.

The Navigator of the Seas (Royal Caribbean Voyager Class), anchored off Belize

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas is part of the Voyager class of ships, like the Adventure of the Seas we went on two years ago. The ships in this class are all nearly identical, and offer a quality experience. We also found the ship to be quite similar in style to the larger Freedom classwe sailed last year, although with Freedom’s larger size and more recnet laucnh and design, the Freedom offered extras such as the Flowrider surfing simulator and the huge H2O Zone for kids.

Downtown Miami from the Port, on the deck of the Navigator (we sailed late due to a Norwegian ship issue, as we took on some of their passengers)

We began our cruise in the Port of Miami, a convenient and familiar port for us. The flight from Toronto is under 3 hours and it’s always easy to find a hotelfor the pre-cruise night. We had a lovely dinner at the Bayside area of Biscayne, a lively waterfront market – highly recommended! During the day most days, you can see ships in the cruise ship port from here, and it gets you excited for the next morning when you know you’ll be boarding yours.

The beautiful Jewel of the Seas sailing out of Miami

Embarkation

As always, we arrived fairly early (before noon) and found no line up at all. We were able to get right on the ship and look around before most of the other passengers had arrived, a pleasure of ours as we like the feeling of having the ship to ourselves and being able to take pictures without the crowds.

Having been on the Freedom of the Seas last year, I was a little worried about finding the boat small or old, but it was neither – she was gorgeous in every way! This Spring I sailed the Rhapsody of the Seas and although she was also beautiful, I found the ship way too small for me, and was concerned that the Freedom had spoiled me for any other subsequent cruise. Thankfully, the Navigator proved that wrong and the entire journey was a pleasure.

The staff in the crusie ship terminal are friendly and helpful, and after tipping the porter to take our luggage, we were on the ship within a few minutes. The Navigator was decked out in Holiday splendor, as our sailing took us into early December.

The Navigator Promenade, all decked out for the Holidays

Note: the baggage handlers are very busy and handle large amounts of luggage: if you have delicate or fragile items you may wish to carry them on board with you in a carry on. My sunglasses case with extra shades in it was nestled in a side pocket of my suitcase and was somewhat crushed when I received it in my stateroom…luckily the case did its job and the expensive sunglasses were fine. Lesson learned.

The Ship

Like all Voyager class ships from Royal Caribbean, The Navigator holds just over 3100 passengers at full capacity, and is capable of sailing almost anywhere in the world. This particular ship had just come from doing the summer in Europe, and can easily be envisioned fitting in there. She is elegant and tasteful inside and out, without the neon and flashiness of some of her rivals, such as Carnival. Every cruise line has its dedicated fans, and Royal Caribbean tends to attract Europeans, middle class Americans, Canadians and Spanish from places like Mexico and other Central American countries. The ship’s passenger demographic will depend, of course, on the port of embarkation, but Royal Caribbean does not tend to attract party animals as much as, say, Carnival.

Pool deck with hot tubs on the Navigator of the Seas

Solarium – adults only section

Navigator docked at Cozumel, alongside the lovely Celebrity Equinox

The Navigator and its sister ships are all about the experience on board, and offer a host of things to do while at sea, which may partially explain that there were only two stops on a 5 night itinerary. These ships have a spectacular indoor promenade with shops and cafes, as well as many other areas geared toward entertaining guests. There is a wide variety of things to do on board, including:

• live comedy and Broadway-style shows (including  an on-ice show!*)
• A full casino and nightclub
• art shows, various lounges with and without live entertainment
• parades and special sales events
• excellent and high quality gym overlooking the bow of the ship, including a wide variety of machines, space for classes, a huge adult spa (hot tub) area and very relaxing changerooms with steamroom, sauna and showers.
• a beautiful spa and wellness center
• formal three level dining room, the Windjammer cafe featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet style, wine bar, champagne bar, several casual cafés and also higher-end restaurants for more intimate dining (charge applies)
• *skating rink and rock climbing wall
• Adventure Ocean kids’ section with activities for kids of all ages – Royal Caribbean is known for it’s kids’ clubs and is very good at keeping kids busy and entertained

The ship decor is, for the most part, very elegant with a nautical theme. Some of the artwork adorning the hallways was a bit too…unique…for us, but overall the ship is lovely, especially in the common areas. Everything is kept immaculately clean, and the staff was always friendly and helpful in our experience. 

The elgant Swan Lake dining room on the Navigator

Lounge and Casino Royale entrance

The Navigator atrium, with glass elevators

Entrance to The Dungeon nightclub

The Royal Promenade

Casino Royale

Navigator of the Seas and tender, off Belize City

TIPS: You’ll find more Hawaii pictures in the reviewsof the Rhapsody of the Seas and the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Click on any of these shots for a full-sized view.

A Plumeria bloom in Oahu, Hawaii. These flowers are not only beautiful, they have a magnificent fragrance. Luckily, you can take the scent home by purchasing some high quality plumeria cream at any local ABC Store.

The lovely beach at Kaanapali, on the south side of Maui. This is where you’ll find many of the major hotels, and on calm days some nice snorkeling and swimming.

The waves at Ho’okipa beach…an incredible and memorable sight

Crashing waves near the blowhole along the shores of Oahu – beautiful! Here is a video of these waves:

Driving with a rental car is easy and safe in the Hawaii’an islands. Here is a shot of the northern coast of Oahu on a gorgeous day. Click to get a better view of the waves and the lighthouse.

Watching the famous sunset from the beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Oahu.

A plane leaving from Kahului airport on the north shore of Maui…and a pretty nice beach too!

Twin Falls in Maui, accessed by the driving along the famous ‘road to Hana’ and then taking a very long hike through stunning tropical forest. This hike is not for the faint of heart, nor the disabled. Be sure and stop along the highway, by the way, and enjoy fresh cocnut, sugarcane, pineapple and other local produce. Yum!

The beautiful, lush mountains in Maui. Often on all islands we found it raining at the mountaintops and sunny down below where we were.

A surfer about to enjoy the waves at the beach in Kapalua, a lovely and exclusive resort area in Maui. This area of the island gets more breeze and rain than down below where it’s lower, and is a bit cooler and a lot lusher. The port town of Lahaina is both charming and very hot and sticky!

The grounds of the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, Maui

Turtles frequent this beach in Kailua-Kona on the big island. The beach is called Kahalu’u and is known as turtle beach. Many people come here to swim and snorkel.

Big old tree in the center of the town of Kailua Kona. Not sure what it is…banyan? Ficus?

For those of you with questions about a cruise sailing out of Miami, here are some tips:

• You can stay at any number of hotels the night before or after your cruise, either by the airport or downtown, which is only a few minutes away from the Port of Miami. Most airport hotels have complimentary shuttles to and from the airport, and there is also a shuttle available for a charge that will take you from the airport (MIA) directly to the cruise terminal of your choice. Try Orbitz for good pricing on pre-cruise hotels, or Priceline for even deeper hotel discounts. You should be able to catch a cab from your downtown hotel to the terminal for about $10, whereas it will cost you between $20 and $30 from an airport area hotel.
• Transportation from the pier to the airport runs from $9-$10 per person for a shuttle (you will share with others) and approximately $24 per ride for a taxi. You can also arrange for transport through various local tour companies, your cruise ship line or possibly your hotel.
• For the various cruises we have taken, we find that arriving earlier allows for the best embarkation experience. It’s usually less busy between the hours of 11am and 1pm, before the masses begin arriving. In this way, we usually get to board the ship and look around before it gets crowded, and although the rooms aren’t usually ready we don’t mind and enjoy having the ship to ourselves.
• TIP: Always ask at the check-in counter and then again at the guest relations desk (after muster, to ensure they have a final passenger count) if any upgrades are available. Sometimes you can receive a complimentary or low-cost upgrade to a better room, and enjoy it for less than you would have paid at the time of booking. It’s always worth asking!

If you should have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can reach me at admin@travel-like-a-pro.com.

Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, sailing out of Miami at sunset (it was turning around). She looked glorious!

A row of pretty cruise ships leaving the Miami port on a Monday evening. Two Royal Caribbean ships, two Carnival ships and a Norwegian ship. As seen from the deck of the Navigator of the Seas

On the deck of the Carnival Fascination while docked in Miami

Freedom of the Seas docked in Miami port

Downtown Miami in the background, as seen from our cruise ship deck (Freedom of the Seas)

Cruise ship terminal at Port of Miami

Biscayne Bay as seen from a cruise ship deck in Port of Miami. Also note the parking garage immediately adjacent to the cruise terminal/s

Downtown Miami, including the massive entertainment complex, as seen from Royal Caribean’s Freedom of the Seas

Loading up the ship on turnaround day. There were dogs sniffing each skid of goods to check for illegal substances.

FLeaving the ship on turnaround day in Miami. Over the bridge you can just see the marina and Bayside Marketplace, a great place to have lunch or dinner and watch the cruise ships (before or after your trip).

The beautiful Freedom of the Seas docked in Miami

Royal Caribbean’s cruise terminal in Miami

A barge in Biscayne Bay

A view of some of the beautiful homes and boats in Miami, from the deck of the Carnival Fascination

The shipping canal in Miami, out of which all the cruise ships sail

Norwegian cruise ship docked in Miami

Last few minutes on board the Carnival Fascination before disembarking in Miami

From booking to arrival to departure, the MGM Grand Signature in Las Vegas was a pleasure to deal with and stay at. While most hotels in the Las Vegas Strip area feature an elaborate theme, smoky casinos and a lot of neon, the Signature is the exact opposite. Set back from the MGM Grand main hotel and accessible by its own private hallway with conveyor belts (it’s further to walk than it looks!), the Signature is more upscale and private.

The Signature has its own gated entrance area, and comprises three separate, connected buildings, each with their own amenities such as decadent pool and spa area, gym, and elegant hotel lobby. The buildings feel very secure and private, and are a world away from the hustle and bustle of the strip, although you are only a block away from all the action. There is no smoking in the hotel, and no casino – you can easily access the MGM Casino through the private walkway. All of MGM’s shops and fabulous restaurants at Studio Walk are also available via the private indoor walkway, and there is a food court as well.

The suites in the MGM Signature are impeccably kept, whether they are privately owned or part of the hotel’s inventory. Many private owners offer their suites for rent when they are absent, and as such you can book a suite directly through the hotel, via any travel website, or by private booking sites such as VRBO (this is where I booked my suite and it was absolutely perfect in every way for my needs on this particular trip, as well as being quite a bit lower than the hotel’s retail rates. We often use this site to find villa and suite rentals for our travel needs). You will find housekeeping service is mandatory, and will be charged a daily fee for the various housekeeping tasks. Even with the fee included, the MGM Signature is still worth the price and is quite reasonable. As an aside, here is a blog post I wrote about the pleasure of staying at this particular hotel: On Living Your Dreams

Each suite includes all the amenities you’ll need for a short- or longer term stay. A kitchenette, for instance, is extremely useful for both storing and cooking food, and comes stocked with dishes and cooking utensils, a small stove, microwave, fridge and sink. Also included is wireless internet, a separate and comfortable sitting area and desk with chair, and a gorgeous bathroom with separate tub and shower, and two sinks. All finishes are upscale and classy, with none of the flashiness you find in other hotels in the area. See pictures below, all taken from the specific suite we rented via VRBO.com.

The Rhapsody Docked in O’ahu, Hawai’i (click for larger picture)

It is always exciting to see your cruise ship in port, and this was no exception. RCL has some beautiful ships, and we boarded with great anticipation. The Rhapsody of the Seas is a Vision class ship, launched in 1997.* The Vision class marked a new era for RCL back then, bringing ships into service with more features than ever before – like rock climbing walls – and with even more attention paid to aesthetics. RCL says this is their most well-traveled class of ships.

Vision class ships introduced an atrium area surrounded almost entirely with glass, with glass elevators, allowing cruise passengers to enjoy sweeping views of the sea (or port) and sky while on any floor of the atrium area, and while riding the elevators. The result is a bright, sunlit atrium of several stories which acts as a natural gathering place for passengers and for entertainment venues. On this trip, we enjoyed the many and varied dance and music numbers from Spirit of Polynesia, a fantastic group of people (see more pictures below).

Rhapsody of the Seas Atrium

Another View of the Vision Class Atrium

Food

Embarking was fairly straightforward, especially as this is a smaller ship. As most people do when boarding, we headed straight for lunch at the Windjammer Café. We found the food here to be delicious and varied throughout our cruise, and in fact ate here many times for dinner rather than in the dining room. Much of the reason for this is that we are vegetarians, and found the formal dining room menu to be much more limited. There was always plenty for us to eat at the Windjammer, and they had different specialty foods on different nights, such as sushi. One thing we had a tough time with was seeing them throw out everything after each meal (we saw staff tossing plate upon plate of dessert displays full of untouched cakes, pastries, etc.). This is to ensure that the food is always fresh, I know, but it’s still difficult to witness such waste.

Staterooms

Our room was an ocean view stateroom. We had asked for a balcony, but there were none available, even at the time of boarding. The ship was completely full, we were told. Even so, the oceanview room felt quite spacious and had everything we needed (I was traveling with my 12 year old daughter).

Rhapsody Outside Cabin – Oceanview

Rhapsody Inside Cabin

General

The main areas of the Rhapsody are in fairly good shape, and are kept immaculately clean. I did notice some signs of aging on this ship, such as stained grout between the pure white flooring in the atrium. The ship’s décor is typical of Royal Caribbean: neutral and classy with a touch of a nautical theme. Bits of the ship seem dated and tired, and some areas are in better shape than others, for instance the lounges and casino were in fabulous condition.

All main areas of the ship were thoroughly enjoyed by passengers, particularly because we spent several days out to sea as we crossed from the Hawai’an islands to the continent of North America. The inside areas, such as the adults only pool (gorgeous!) and the spa, gym and lounges, got more crowded as we headed north. As the weather changed from balmy and warm to cold, rainy and blowy, the pools were less and less utilized and eventually they were closed off.

Some more pictures (click for larger views) and videos:

The Rhapsody at Sunrise off of Maui – Beautiful!

Click here for a video of the waves crashing in O’ahu

Click here for a video of a beautiful waterfall in Maui

Spirit of Polynesia Hula Dancers

Click Here for a video of the Spirit of Polynesia Dancers

The Rhapsody at Sunset off of Maui

Surfers in Maui – Look Closely! (Click for larger view)

Adults Only Area on Rhapsody of the Seas – Spa and Gym to the Side

Pool Deck and Hot Tubs on Rhapsody

Hula Dancers on Pool Deck

Formal Dining Room - Waiters Singing

Following the Norwegian Pearl into the Port of Vancouver – An Incredible View of Stanley Park and an Amazing Experience Going Under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, Unforgettable!

The Port of Vancouver – Canada Place

Overall, we had a lovely cruise aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas. It was a little difficult to pack for and deal with a what started out as a warm tropical vacation turning into a cold, windy one, but we managed. :) We did lose internet access for a few days while crossing the Pacific ocean, and this, for me, contributed to a feelign of isolation which I did not enjoy. My daughter, however, didn’t seem to notice and had a ball. She says the kids’ club is fantastic, and misses her cruise already. 

*While we had a lovely time and all onboard seemed to enjoy the cruise, I would hesitate to cruise on an older, smaller ship again. Having been on the Freedom class just the year before, we have found that older and smaller ships don’t measure up in terms of quality and cleanliness, as well as ambience and things to do. This is, of course, a matter of perspective, and the many retired couples aboard the Rhapsody like it just the way it is, and would likely find the Freedom class too big, too noisy and too full of younger people. As it turns out, any cruises over 7 days tend to be booked up by a fairly mature crowd, meaning that the vast majority of the passengers were one, if not two, generations older than me. I was an oddity at 38, and there weren’t many kids on board either. Just so you know!

What to Expect

Cancun is a tropical destination at any time of year, so bring plenty of cool, breezy clothes and sunscreen. The average annual temperature is 80 degrees F. Although experiences plenty of sun year-round, the ‘off-season’ from May to October brings some rain.*

You will be dazzled by the white sand beaches, turquoise waters and swaying palm trees. The hotel and resort choices are staggering in numbers, and if you do a little research before you book (based on what is important to you) you are sure to find something which suits your taste and budget. The hotels are arranged along the coastline, so almost every one is oceanfront.

Click here for a map of the Cancun hotel zone with hotels listed. Click here to visit Cancun-Travel-Guide.net for more specific information about Cancun.

The local people, as in all of Mexico, speak Spanish, although you’ll find some people in the resorts who speak English. They accept American currency everywhere, as well as Mexican pesos.

Cancun is a master-planned tourist destination, and you can find just about anything you’re looking for in the greater area. If nightlife and shopping and crowds are just what you’re after, be sure and stay in the main ’strip’ which is the quintessential Cancun experience, popular with a younger crown, for the most part.

Outside of the city both to the north and the south, are quieter, more upscale areas, mostly populated with  4 and 5 star all inclusive hotels, many quite decadent. If this is more your scene, look for keywords such as Mayan Riviera, Riviera Cancun, Mexican Riviera,  Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

*Notes:

As with most of the Caribbean, Cancun is prone to hurricanes between June and October, and visitors are advised to pay attention to storm watches.

Cancun travelers are advised to avoid swimming in the waters between the 2nd and 4th weeks of April. This is the mating season for thimble jelly-fish, and they gather along the shores, resulting in fever and other possible complications for those with whom they come in contact.

Cancun Deals from Ebay

Paperwork and valuables: Keep these things with you as you travel. If you travel by air, always carry your important paperwork – from passport to receipts and confirmations – with you in your carry-on luggage or purse. You should carry any valuable jewelry on your person as well. Do not leave anything in your luggage that has personal information such as credit card information, but always tag your luggage with your name and address in clearly legible printing. At your destination, either carry these important items with you in a safe place or lock them in your in-room safe. TIP: Some hotels are safer than others; do some research before you leave to ensure the in-room safe is locked. Stories have been reported of in-room safes being violated at certain establishments. When in doubt, keep your things with you and/or speak to the hotel manager or concierge about what your safest option is.

Be aware of your surroundings: Especially in Europe where tourism is rampant, some locals have pickpocketing down to a fine art. Often, they will have a child or group of children distract you – by screaming or asking you for something you don’t understand – and another party (often more children) will deftly relieve you of your wallet or other trinkets. Be alert and aware at all times.

Know where you are: Whether you are walking around in a foreign town or driving through an unknown city somewhere on a road trip, be sure you know where you are and where you are going at all times. While it may seem romantic or exciting to just ’see where you end up,’ lost tourists often get themselves into trouble by wandering into questionable neighborhoods. Carry a map or GPS, ask trusted locals for advice and always have a plan as to where you’d like to go. Keep your gas tank full and your cell phone charged, and as always, be aware of your surroundings. Sometimes changes in neighborhood caliber can be fairly subtle.

Precautions: Always have trip insurance and make sure it includes any costs associated with injury while you are away. Also, leave your destination information with a trusted friend at home and carry that person’s contact information on your person at all times – just in case!