Cruise to the Caribbean with my whole family

On January 22nd my Dad is turning 60 and to celebrate this milestone birthday he wanted to take the whole family on vacation. And by “whole family” I mean his wife, four kids, three son-in-laws, nine grandchildren, his mother, two sister-in-laws and two nieces! So what kind of vacation would you go on with this many people? A long weekend in Miami? A short break in Mexico? No, think bigger. Much bigger. A 9-night cruise to the Caribbean leaving from New York.

On February 8th, my entire family will board the Norwegian Gem and after two days at sea, we’ll finally dock in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After that, we’ll spend a day in St. Marteen, a day in St. Thomas and a final stop in the Dominican Republic before heading back to the freezing New York winter.

At first, I was skeptical of this choice. The idea of being trapped on a boat for two days straight with no land in sight isn’t exactly my idea of a relaxing vacation. But after reading a little more on the Norwegian Cruise Line website, I’m starting to look forward to this little adventure.
The “boat” itself is floating city. It can hold up over 2,300 passengers and 1,100 crew members and has 14 different bars and restaurants, a bowling alley, pools, a theatre and even a tennis court. The best part of all of this for me? The Tree Tops Kids Club which will entertain kids from age 3 and up without their parents. So maybe, just maybe, Mom & Dad will get to occasionally lounge by the pool in peace and quiet! 🙂

From Italy, you can book this or any other Norwegian Cruise Line cruise directly on their website: www.it.ncl.eu They offer cruises leaving from several different US ports to Bermuda, the Caribbean, New England & Canada, Alaska, the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea and even Transatlantic cruises with stops in the Azores Islands and Madeira!