Christmas Cruise - December 2001
by Cecile Schutter

Ray and I decided to have our own family gathering on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. We gathered up our son and daughter and their respective families for a week of hanging out together. We consisted of 6 adults and 4 children, ages 2 - 6. The Rhapsody's sailing from Galveston was the ideal location for this. Each family had their own cabin, so we could have our own space, but we could gather around the pool, the dining room, the theatre, or wherever.

There are 2 really excellent reasons to take a family vacation on the Rhapsody. Sailing from Houston, it was wonderful not to have to deal with airports and airplanes, just a short drive and we're there. The best part comes at the end of the cruise, WE'RE HOME ! Have you ever noticed how a return air flight can totally ruin a wonderful week of relaxing? Here, there's no hassle of the airports.

Click on each picture for a larger view.
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Kids Like the Conch Train

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We Can Eat 8 Times a Day

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Typical Balcony Cabin

The second great reason is that every family member can do what they want. We're not obligated to gathering in the hotel lobby, trying to decide where to go for dinner, piling into 3 or more cabs, and then finding a restaurant that is a lot more mediocre than the description in a guide book. The older kids LOVED the kids club, and the parents LOVED the kids club. The ports of call are great for kids too. We enjoyed a full day in Cozumel's Chankanaab Park, swimming, snorkeling, and building sand castles. The park now has a swimming experience with Dolphins which Tom, Linda and Rhonda took the opportunity to experience. The ship comes right up to a dock, and there is a handy shopping mall right at the pier if you miss getting any Mexican souvenirs. In Grand Cayman, we went to Sting Ray City, and if you have the chance to do this excursion, do it! The stingrays feel like cats around your legs, or giant portabello mushrooms, soft, but wet. What fun! Unfortunately, we had to tender in Key West, so just didn't have enough time to do all there is to offer in that interesting port. We also enjoyed 3 days of sea time, between the ports, and this gave us the chance to have a massage and body wrap. The weather was wonderful, hanging around the pool and Jacuzzi was a big hit, and there we lots of activities created by the cruise line, to keep everyone happy.

One highlight is Adventure Science, a program conducted by a trained science staff that makes education fun through a premium blend of hands-on science experience and entertainment. Kids can also enjoy karaoke, sports, painting, talent shows, a computer lab, video arcades, their own special menus at meal times, and much more. Baby sitting services, including group sitting and in-cabin sitting, are also available.

A cruise is time well spent together, in an environment that does not include dealing with cooking, cleaning, or dish washing, gave us a chance to enjoy our family for a week. Now's the time for you to take your family on a cruise, and since we have a selection to choose from right from our own port of Galveston, there's no reason not to. The Rhapsody will call on Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel until the end of October 2002 when Belize City will be substituted for Grand Cayman.

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