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RUISE
orner michelle & karl teel
Reunion cruising makes memories Like all great events in life, family reunions require planning, but they are well worth it. Family reunions bring us together from all points of the earth, and from all generations. They create memories, solidify families, and carry on traditions — all of the important stuff in life. But, there can be the headaches, as well. Who will host it? Where and when will it be? Who handles the expenses, the planning, and the myriad details? We found the ideal solution in a family reunion cruise. Why a reunion cruise? We simply couldn’t find a better alternative when we weighed all the factors. No one person has to lay out a deposit for the whole group. Everyone needs a vacation and usually has it budgeted anyway. Even if the expense may be more than one normally might budget, a cruise is a special event — an appropriate way to celebrate an anniversary, graduation, or special accomplishment, and spending a little extra may be in order. On our reunion cruise, we had nine cabins and 17 people. In addition to the reunion aspect, we had a college graduation, three birthdays, and a post-hospitalization to celebrate. And, on a cruise, there is something for every
budget. Cabins on a cruise can go for as little as $299. On our cruise, an upper-level balcony represented the higher end at about $1,500. Many levels of price and luxury in between satisfied the retiree, the young family with a new baby, the early-20s server, and the more established adults. Keep in mind, the price included all the food we could eat in a week — and we mean good food! When you factor in the cost of groceries alone for a party of that size, it becomes apparent that a cruise is a wise choice. Like any reunion, there isn’t a single universally acceptable time window. We picked a date when the kids just got out of school and began the process about six to 12 months in advance — plenty of time to juggle work schedules, save, and plan.
Carnival provided assistance We selected the Carnival Breeze out of Miami based on simple criteria. Miami offers easy airport access to either Miami or Fort Lauderdale airports, both of which are airline hubs with low rates and multiple carriers and times for people flying in from different parts of the country. The itinerary looked great (San Juan, St. Martin, St. Kitts, and Grand Turk) and so did the ship (one of the newest, best appointed in the fleet). Best of all, once we made our decision, Carnival
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took over at no extra cost. The cruise line gave us a dedicated representative with direct phone and email access who created a flyer we could mail, email, post on Facebook, and distribute. It had the dates, itinerary, best possible rates for a variety of cabin levels, and all the other vital information. From that point on, the representative took the calls and emails, answered questions, booked us as close together as possible, collected the money, and set up our dining all together. We expected a fantastic time and got even more than we ever believed possible. For an entire week we had the best of all worlds. The perfect balance of time together and time apart kept us both engaged and refreshed. Over the course of the week, the different pairings of people throughout the day and different events gave everyone a chance to really get to know each other and bond. Kids with kids, elders with elders, and elders with kids ... every combination you can imagine. At the end of the week, unlike a traditional reunion, nobody said, “Gee, I never got a chance to speak with so-and-so.� Cousins who traditionally only see each other for a few hours at a wedding or Christmas gathering hung out at night clubs, sat on balconies talking philosophy until the wee hours of the morning, and discovered tropical paradise sites together. Grandchildren sat with their grandmother hearing stories from 75 years ago about their heritage. Just as there was an infinite combination of age, geography, and interest among our reunion attendees, there was also an infinite combination of opportunities: day and night, peaceful or action-packed, luxurious or exotic, at the dinner table or at the water slide.
Michelle Teel
Three generations on a family reunion cruise plus an additional guest, the “monkey on your back,� great memories.
Smith Island Cruises
• Southern Expedition - 14 Lighthouses
DAY TRIP: Thurs. thru Sun. - departing at 10:30 a.m. from Point Lookout Marina - $40 per person OR 2- OR 3-DAY PACKAGES starting at $375 per couple visiting Smith Island, Crisfield and Tangier Island. Package Available: Any Thursday thru Saturday night. Includes: Cruise, Accommodations in Crisfield, Dinner at Chesapeake Crabhouse and Breakfast. LIMITED SPACE • RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
410-425-2771 • smithislandcruises.com
16 recreation news I july 2015 I recreationnews.com
- 2 Days - Overnight Onancock, VA August 8 & 9 • Sunset Cruises with 2 Lighthouses • Half Day on the Bay with 5 Lighthouses • Full Day Cruises with 10 Lighthouses
• Northern Expedition with 10 Lighthouses
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What Carnival Breeze offers The Breeze is a 130,000-ton ship in Carnival’s Dream class that holds around 3,600 guests. In addition to the great new feel of the ship, it offered some fantastic features. There is plenty of outdoor recreation including SportsSquare, with full-court basketball, ping pong, mini-golf, foosball, volleyball, and more. SkyCourse is a ropes course with views of the sea 150 feet below. One of our favorites is the outdoor movie screen which, when