Our Day at Great Stirrup Cay | Family Vacation Day 3

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIiEd6SsbUJsYcnSX5TKZq5aT6zDkiXlN97w-lieYfUBrE-E-vOEHQvAQY6OkLizrqkjeonTzeKApz_g2HF6oIHwlmzCF3vF1CWYikXpOq7zB5pOHQno4G4YCRDQ-0aSPa0RS8D3X72Yg/s1600/great-stirrup-cay-norwegian-cruise-family-0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="britneydearest, britney dearest tv, flight, travel, tips, big families, family, kids, children, plan, planning, road trip, vacation, interracial family, blended family, multiculural, mixed kids, cruise ship. first time, plan, bahamas, norwegian, sky, great stirrup cay" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIiEd6SsbUJsYcnSX5TKZq5aT6zDkiXlN97w-lieYfUBrE-E-vOEHQvAQY6OkLizrqkjeonTzeKApz_g2HF6oIHwlmzCF3vF1CWYikXpOq7zB5pOHQno4G4YCRDQ-0aSPa0RS8D3X72Yg/s640/great-stirrup-cay-norwegian-cruise-family-0175.jpg" title="" width="640"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> The itinerary for day three of our cruise on the <a href="http://www.britneydearest.com/2016/03/what-you-need-to-know-before-planning-first-family-cruise.html" target="_blank">Norwegian Sky</a> consisted of a day long visit to the Norwegian Cruise Line private island, Great Stirrup Cay.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> It was so beautiful!</div>

Family, Travel

Our Day at Great Stirrup Cay | Family Vacation Day 3

The itinerary for day three of our cruise on the Norwegian Sky consisted of a day long visit to the Norwegian Cruise Line private isla...

Our Vacation in Photos | Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8L1Uirv3O5YJb2Q-IU9QjwQTAvWsGqUj321oX4kLrNVBPoWJfPWTDWSjIBUxrroa-6bjoV-Yez7tkD6bdr8851BXp3I-jd4KsJmkuSreYJ6rxe0hsfFJCklZu3cU3CPchO5s6jQIzjqR/s1600/IMG_0035-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8L1Uirv3O5YJb2Q-IU9QjwQTAvWsGqUj321oX4kLrNVBPoWJfPWTDWSjIBUxrroa-6bjoV-Yez7tkD6bdr8851BXp3I-jd4KsJmkuSreYJ6rxe0hsfFJCklZu3cU3CPchO5s6jQIzjqR/s640/IMG_0035-blog.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Nice and full after breakfast!</span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br> Continuing on with sharing photos of our vacation, we spent day two in Nassau, Bahamas walking around and shopping. We had to return to the ship earlier than planned because it ended up raining much longer than we anticipated.<br>

Family, Travel

Our Vacation in Photos | Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas

Nice and full after breakfast! Continuing on with sharing photos of our vacation, we spent day two in Nassau, Bahamas walking around an...

What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise

<div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div> <div> <div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG-cOKkDB5WA6T6yMfDnvd8iYajzZy_1vDWgrsx4La4nkP0OFcpZaCievnBm_9JhUWUfYngSZlBX7tAMp1nfTPS4_qtpF5xJNwfUK0RuRm3VVzLOmWZH_mGgKGRcATY0Owpl03svoOjpq/s1600/great-stirrup-cay-norwegian-cruise-family-bahamas-0282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG-cOKkDB5WA6T6yMfDnvd8iYajzZy_1vDWgrsx4La4nkP0OFcpZaCievnBm_9JhUWUfYngSZlBX7tAMp1nfTPS4_qtpF5xJNwfUK0RuRm3VVzLOmWZH_mGgKGRcATY0Owpl03svoOjpq/s640/great-stirrup-cay-norwegian-cruise-family-bahamas-0282.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <br /> As with the <a href="http://www.britneydearest.com/2016/03/our-2015-christmas-retreat-holiday-travel-tips-big-families.html" target="_blank">Branson</a> post, I had my bonus mom's help with writing this post. She and my father have been on multiple cruises and are very knowledgeable about how it all works.<br /> <br /> If you have never planned a cruise, you will soon find out that there is a lot of information and extra expenses that you must be aware of so that you can plan and save accordingly. Hopefully, this list will give you a lot of insight into those extra things you may not have already considered.<br /> <br /> We cruised on the <a href="https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/sky" target="_blank">Norwegian Sky</a>. I'm not sure if all other ships have the same procedures and protocols, but this list can help regardless :-)<br /> <br /> Let's begin!<br /> <br /> <br /></div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VJz7XhyphenhyphendWUgLoe7GmL_cIT2oUxqdXlzrUtC-PpMq-yrACElZgNc-tmJrz5yFJ26dTo1p0qUVNRymzD5rimHgwYsTxfQc8UcBZmhwHon5TWLsPFUsVcWjm-TQqnXsUUO7-hReXTD4OuOA/s1600/norwegian-cruise-family-hotel-flight-miami-florida.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VJz7XhyphenhyphendWUgLoe7GmL_cIT2oUxqdXlzrUtC-PpMq-yrACElZgNc-tmJrz5yFJ26dTo1p0qUVNRymzD5rimHgwYsTxfQc8UcBZmhwHon5TWLsPFUsVcWjm-TQqnXsUUO7-hReXTD4OuOA/s640/norwegian-cruise-family-hotel-flight-miami-florida.png" width="640" /></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SD9BSzfilS20X8TPadoiVtvjLt6pmJHGEFeCIjkKhKD55SpOrSNia0B0g0oH4j6cneGrLQ47-Uz59lItW2Wtm0JTL_YyB4sav8Fl2c01YFu5IohcdrUstB2FVf7kui6BtjJ138gQy2k3/s1600/IMG_9910-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SD9BSzfilS20X8TPadoiVtvjLt6pmJHGEFeCIjkKhKD55SpOrSNia0B0g0oH4j6cneGrLQ47-Uz59lItW2Wtm0JTL_YyB4sav8Fl2c01YFu5IohcdrUstB2FVf7kui6BtjJ138gQy2k3/s640/IMG_9910-blog.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <ul> <li>Use Expedia.com or another similar site to book your flight and <b>ALWAYS buy on Tuesday mornings for the best rates</b>. I’m talking, a 50% difference!</li> <ul> <li>Our total <u>round trip flight cost was $1,300 for 5 people</u>, to and from Miami, FL, with 1 layover each way. We saved up for about 4 months to pay for our flights. We paid late January, a little over a month before the flight dates.</li> </ul> <li>Use CruisesOnly.com to find good rates and your ideal locations. Pricing fluctuates depending on the dates you sail out (e.g. Spring breaks may be more expensive) and depending on which room you have on the ship (e.g. rooms with an ocean view  cost more).</li> <li>Be aware of <b>mandatory gratuity fees</b>. These can be paid up front or afterwards.</li> <ul> <li>Ours was about $13 per day and for 7 people totaled $144. They were paid when the reservation was made.</li> </ul> <li>If you plan to arrive the day before your cruise departs (recommended), f<b>ind a hotel that provides free transportation from the airport and to and from the port</b>.</li> <ul> <li>Have cash to tip the drivers- they help load up your luggage.</li> </ul> <li>Book your hotel far in advance.</li> <ul> <li>We stayed at the {Comfort Suites} hotel the day before our cruise and one day after.</li> </ul> </ul> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DE9_ZqbdkWLpa3QJvYMK0JM0qui9gAcPgJUNJ5MQRCiVIz8aQC9jnmirV2626CCk7jhygfBK37OD7pNISUEnZR8QbGN7FKlKlSQMF2TxGxRuLHbOxv931vs0A2wUc3y8EfgKZqhj77io/s1600/IMG_9936-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DE9_ZqbdkWLpa3QJvYMK0JM0qui9gAcPgJUNJ5MQRCiVIz8aQC9jnmirV2626CCk7jhygfBK37OD7pNISUEnZR8QbGN7FKlKlSQMF2TxGxRuLHbOxv931vs0A2wUc3y8EfgKZqhj77io/s640/IMG_9936-blog.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="640" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> <o:p></o:p><br /> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpEXEAqXifLsOKZ4s9KvGq1nmKJBl1D_qoD0SRW0hB4wYi9j01ptbDbJgzKbqL9bfY_vepvOjZRkRWMbuv_ap5KemFP1FuOuPBznjm85vvnrXF0r-EUTMcUZcF4WWHD1_RRfxemGJb29q/s1600/on-the-ship-norwegian-cruise-sky-family.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpEXEAqXifLsOKZ4s9KvGq1nmKJBl1D_qoD0SRW0hB4wYi9j01ptbDbJgzKbqL9bfY_vepvOjZRkRWMbuv_ap5KemFP1FuOuPBznjm85vvnrXF0r-EUTMcUZcF4WWHD1_RRfxemGJb29q/s640/on-the-ship-norwegian-cruise-sky-family.png" width="640" /></a></div> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-1kM3UaiTK7FgKlf7-01fsEs8o2wwestPv-wcIwSCVJGKisoIHVcK2-8KpgZ-r2c1_kdxaY3p_uevhpP1vTaO0kyLexv7esAU4WlC5tnNQVaUM8mYpJb2DEdLC0g-gZYfU2aZ35Bn8cv/s1600/IMG_0287-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-1kM3UaiTK7FgKlf7-01fsEs8o2wwestPv-wcIwSCVJGKisoIHVcK2-8KpgZ-r2c1_kdxaY3p_uevhpP1vTaO0kyLexv7esAU4WlC5tnNQVaUM8mYpJb2DEdLC0g-gZYfU2aZ35Bn8cv/s640/IMG_0287-blog.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><br /></b> <b><br /></b></div> </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <ul> <li>You will need a debit or credit card for the cruise ship because all on board and excursion purchases are made with your cruise card. It's also the key to your room. Cool, right? :-)</li> <li>There are free food and drinks, however, some fancier restaurants on board will cost extra.</li> <li>Our ship offered free child care with licensed staff. The only times that were not free were during lunch time and after 10:30 p.m. and the cost was $6 per child. </li> <ul> <li>Our kids didn’t spend a lot of time there but they begged to go back after they did.</li> <li>My daughter noted that a couple of the teachers didn’t seem to be having a lot of fun although they were helping the kids have fun. She said they weren’t smiling or laughing.</li> </ul> <li>There were a lot of night entertainment for adults. There was a club, a comedian, variety performances {singing & dancing}, games, singles meetups, a casino, all types of events.</li> </ul> <b><br /></b> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGevnLz3kUwVa9j4egWPM97ISZJ2lmHKwSRkbwm9PyzuSERUrRjuDqmYV9x3X9iZBf6F884iHBzBevEPyQ_YwjrFV-LjH8eXSGcwwSMhk8g8dp2qWhcQAQA1EKeQmmd0pzP5skBRu97E19/s1600/on-the-islands-great-stirrup-cay-norwegian-cruise-sky-family-nassau-bahamas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGevnLz3kUwVa9j4egWPM97ISZJ2lmHKwSRkbwm9PyzuSERUrRjuDqmYV9x3X9iZBf6F884iHBzBevEPyQ_YwjrFV-LjH8eXSGcwwSMhk8g8dp2qWhcQAQA1EKeQmmd0pzP5skBRu97E19/s640/on-the-islands-great-stirrup-cay-norwegian-cruise-sky-family-nassau-bahamas.png" width="640" /></a></div> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurQwwvJp-_xFYI7pI9qCs_OSG1CkXrPbMCGce1JTPPdm8VHFSyGnO6-VbLnmwgsJ3Op6wvnnSvUjhnIRgdKMX-9SyhSgVJnEERJO8mFTZAUZM7Kh6S8XWRGosbV4M7ANz1qcSiAL4KtNk/s1600/IMG_0179-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurQwwvJp-_xFYI7pI9qCs_OSG1CkXrPbMCGce1JTPPdm8VHFSyGnO6-VbLnmwgsJ3Op6wvnnSvUjhnIRgdKMX-9SyhSgVJnEERJO8mFTZAUZM7Kh6S8XWRGosbV4M7ANz1qcSiAL4KtNk/s640/IMG_0179-blog.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div> <ul> <li>There are fun excursions to partake in off the cruise ship in Nassau, Bahamas and on their private island, Great Stirrup Cay. <u>Those activities cost extra.</u> Some are on the low price end, like snorkeling and paddle boats, and some are more costly, like parasailing and wave runners.</li> <ul> <li>Riding the WaveRunner was an <i>AMAZING </i>experience. They’re like Jet Ski’s. I highly recommend them- if you're not a scaredy cat! lol</li> <li>We bought a paddle boat but didn’t get to ride it because of the wind and waves. The charge was refunded.</li> <li>There’s also scuba diving, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and stingrays.</li> </ul> <li>A day at the <a href="http://www.atlantisbahamas.com/" target="_blank">Atlantis Paradise Island</a> in Nassau is $99 a head for the day. I wish we could afford that at the time, but nah.</li> <li><b>Save for extra beach charges.</b></li> <ul> <li>We purchased a large clam shell sun shade (shown on the left side of the photo above) for my parents for $30.</li> <li><br /></li> </ul> </ul> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYRTkTq43CXrz2fp_NePpKy47OIXtn0iGLvNxU69Sf1I40fBPNv4CT-viIu6CwrVBBaqrLGMfQ_Hrm3AP7Sm_1IzMlqZX4oKbF6r8hS10qbWdR1KGwEKohdgc22gHevpCSlIpG4clM_Od/s1600/IMG_0128-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYRTkTq43CXrz2fp_NePpKy47OIXtn0iGLvNxU69Sf1I40fBPNv4CT-viIu6CwrVBBaqrLGMfQ_Hrm3AP7Sm_1IzMlqZX4oKbF6r8hS10qbWdR1KGwEKohdgc22gHevpCSlIpG4clM_Od/s640/IMG_0128-blog.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <br /> <br /> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NaMr82W77djI2mLDfUtFncD5ZllA0Te7t9BWn-cMJkDXdVejBFSc7ZwzxMHJAs-ZHJsf9cTOxAmNcuhueeYNggfoICDm7I_2a0a4JIsrD0MdsWdKvn6N3DaNpDwCrTVU_qsV8UNQFWaB/s1600/additional-info-family-cruise-norwegian-sky-miami-florida.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NaMr82W77djI2mLDfUtFncD5ZllA0Te7t9BWn-cMJkDXdVejBFSc7ZwzxMHJAs-ZHJsf9cTOxAmNcuhueeYNggfoICDm7I_2a0a4JIsrD0MdsWdKvn6N3DaNpDwCrTVU_qsV8UNQFWaB/s640/additional-info-family-cruise-norwegian-sky-miami-florida.png" width="640" /></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div> <ul> <li><b>Plan about six months or more in advance</b> so you can save up for all the expenses.</li> <li><b>You don't need passports!</b> They're expensive for a whole family. A birth certificate for everyone with an ID for the adults work just as well. Just keep them safe and don't loose them!</li> <li><b>Check the weather</b> so you can pack your outfits accordingly.</li> <li><b>Have cash for tips</b> and island market shopping.</li> <li>There are <b>no taxes on items purchased on the ship outside of the Miami port. </b>Yay!</li> <li><b>Reserve a rental car in advance</b>.</li> <ul> <li>When we got off the ship we were shuttled to the rental car service at the airport. From there we went to get lunch, went to the beach, and went out for dinner.</li> </ul> <li><b>Sometimes weather prevents you from partaking in planned activities.</b></li> <ul> <li>During our day in Nassau, Bahamas it started pouring raining. We ended up soaking wet while heading back to the ship.</li> </ul> </ul> <div> </div> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Also read:</span></b><br /> <b><a href="http://www.britneydearest.com/2016/03/17-tips-keeping-family-home-safe-vacation.html"><span style="font-size: large;">17 Tips to Keep Your Family and Home Safe While on Vacation</span></a></b><br /> <b><br /></b> <b><br /></b> <b><br /></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn-PcwPKt6YeOtcw5ahNtkbiyOX9G-Kq8vRBBISUQbkNtBo63kZTG-EyCgnwvE1a8oiqkbvDlBHS0x8sPTYwXrLxatgcjlt5-iXifNGp-OzImkCMqfZ2htl02GlNsH_DOoIjMd7g6_GPS/s1600/THANKS-FOR-READING-BRITNEY-DEAREST.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn-PcwPKt6YeOtcw5ahNtkbiyOX9G-Kq8vRBBISUQbkNtBo63kZTG-EyCgnwvE1a8oiqkbvDlBHS0x8sPTYwXrLxatgcjlt5-iXifNGp-OzImkCMqfZ2htl02GlNsH_DOoIjMd7g6_GPS/s640/THANKS-FOR-READING-BRITNEY-DEAREST.png" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOVQFbPRyUK7TuU6v_7dYokqHFZFr7ILV7vFqA1lpnujzU6zVvqDC4iJwxF-1FvT0UVKEQ7XB5cnPmAphMtaychC2R9hgxchZmJAx8KeMAjhAUn_HY78UoWbskx4HahD10abQai5D7JSz/s1600/PLANNING-FAMILY-CRUISE-VACATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boat, plan, family, travel, cruise, norwegian, sky, kids, tips, advice, vacation, what to do, plan, planning, children, flight, hotel, booking" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOVQFbPRyUK7TuU6v_7dYokqHFZFr7ILV7vFqA1lpnujzU6zVvqDC4iJwxF-1FvT0UVKEQ7XB5cnPmAphMtaychC2R9hgxchZmJAx8KeMAjhAUn_HY78UoWbskx4HahD10abQai5D7JSz/s640/PLANNING-FAMILY-CRUISE-VACATION.jpg" title="What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise" width="416" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: left;">*All photos are mine all mine :-).</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>

Family, Travel

What You Need to Know Before Planning Your First Family Cruise

As with the Branson post, I had my bonus mom's help with writing this post. She and my father have been on multiple cruises and...

17 Tips to Keep Your Family and Home Safe While on Vacation

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR1v2gMpj3JBldnbh0WljLZsv87yWS2ksenZOhXcUJjLAGljpObIgMp1nQGzcImPF6i1FDqG0Bv2IWEiwPaxzKdVnbGrQMt_dA7ekkngOFwTrBa9BGizPkbtY9qvIODkzFK8nS9FMNSD1/s1600/IMG_0314-blog-family-home-travel-vacation-safe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR1v2gMpj3JBldnbh0WljLZsv87yWS2ksenZOhXcUJjLAGljpObIgMp1nQGzcImPF6i1FDqG0Bv2IWEiwPaxzKdVnbGrQMt_dA7ekkngOFwTrBa9BGizPkbtY9qvIODkzFK8nS9FMNSD1/s640/IMG_0314-blog-family-home-travel-vacation-safe.jpg" width="426"></a></div> <br> <br> My family recently traveled away from our home for a six day vacation (you can read about that <a href="http://www.britneydearest.com/2016/03/my-familys-first-ever-cruise-ship.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and along with tips for planning your first family cruise (<a href="http://www.britneydearest.com/2016/03/what-you-need-to-know-before-planning-first-family-cruise.html" target="_blank">here</a>), I also want to share tips that helped us keep our home and family safe so that we could enjoy our time together without worrying.<br> <br> Here they are:<br> <br>

Family, Travel

17 Tips to Keep Your Family and Home Safe While on Vacation

My family recently traveled away from our home for a six day vacation (you can read about that here ) and along with tips for planning...

My Family's First Ever Cruise Ship Experience {Day 1 On Board}

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSebjg280HW_0Is9OZstWSJgfIcayS4aoc1_sy0egsMQYEnzBD4-j5aQ4cnYDLKNyr1ZhPl-nkmu90yBCYsS1DikI4tG79Yn4KpAHopDPmYyjYTAx_eSThV3t6Cd_ncwfIs3P_1u8UvG6/s1600/scanNorwegianSky0002-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="britneydearest, britney dearest tv, flight, travel, tips, big families, family, kids, children, plan, planning, road trip, vacation, interracial family, blended family, multiculural, mixed kids, cruise ship. first time, plan, bahamas, norwegian, sky, great stirrup cay" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSebjg280HW_0Is9OZstWSJgfIcayS4aoc1_sy0egsMQYEnzBD4-j5aQ4cnYDLKNyr1ZhPl-nkmu90yBCYsS1DikI4tG79Yn4KpAHopDPmYyjYTAx_eSThV3t6Cd_ncwfIs3P_1u8UvG6/s640/scanNorwegianSky0002-blog.jpg" title="" width="512"></a></div> <br> <br> Last week my family had the privilege of flying to Miami, FL, Nassau, Bahamas, and Great Stirrup Cay for a six day family vacation with my awesome parents. Over the next few days I will share photos of trip AND <a href="http://www.britneydearest.com/2016/03/what-you-need-to-know-before-planning-first-family-cruise.html" target="_blank">tips to help you plan your first family cruise</a>.<br> <br> Here we go!<br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br>

Family, Travel

My Family's First Ever Cruise Ship Experience {Day 1 On Board}

Last week my family had the privilege of flying to Miami, FL, Nassau, Bahamas, and Great Stirrup Cay for a six day family vacation wit...

8 Things I Learned About My Home and Family While My Husband Was Away

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJnCJ-l3KbVsTO-9xzC5WrYtqM4cWArsmUm44UHWyaNyPrh8W1HpIzB7vdIi9pxZKAGgRf3vOB5JyNpcwhU0o99q37B2KKfCfCaQKkSBrck9XbHpzWcEQnOwD22iDRzNY48ddIGNGFu0p/s1600/20160217_132051ZachGrandCanyonBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJnCJ-l3KbVsTO-9xzC5WrYtqM4cWArsmUm44UHWyaNyPrh8W1HpIzB7vdIi9pxZKAGgRf3vOB5JyNpcwhU0o99q37B2KKfCfCaQKkSBrck9XbHpzWcEQnOwD22iDRzNY48ddIGNGFu0p/s640/20160217_132051ZachGrandCanyonBlog.jpg" width="640"></a></div> <br> <br> Recently, my husband, his boss, and his coworker left home for two whole weeks! They went to Phoenix, AZ and Denver, CO to help out his boss's family members with their homes and from the photos, looks like it was a nice long vacation as well! :side eye: Maybe I'm a teeny bit jealous?<br> <br> It was the longest I have been away from my husband in our nearly seven years of marriage.<br>

Family, Marriage, Moms, Motherhood

8 Things I Learned About My Home and Family While My Husband Was Away

Recently, my husband, his boss, and his coworker left home for two whole weeks! They went to Phoenix, AZ and Denver, CO to help out his ...

Holiday Travel Tips For Big Families

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJjvOdgzAI3kTGFlH9KRzxHeCbTIptiUlyEjLwuPOhsB48jRlA0ixuJo45hNzDDrPpBpfZJG3P1Q3h1jDkxsAr09YUxM0VVi8ampLbAW4SSP9QpUrRjjcDngzMkZ4HNQkL6qh2CmzH-8a/s1600/IMG_9553_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="britneydearest, britney dearest tv, holiday, travel, tips, big families, family, kids, children, plan, planning, road trip, vacation, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Branson, MO, Missouri, cabin, interracial family, blended family, multiculural, mixed kids" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJjvOdgzAI3kTGFlH9KRzxHeCbTIptiUlyEjLwuPOhsB48jRlA0ixuJo45hNzDDrPpBpfZJG3P1Q3h1jDkxsAr09YUxM0VVi8ampLbAW4SSP9QpUrRjjcDngzMkZ4HNQkL6qh2CmzH-8a/s640/IMG_9553_blog.jpg" title="Holiday Travel Tips For Big Families" width="640"></a></div> <br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> *Thanks to my bonus mom for helping me write this!♥</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> My parents inspire me so much. They're very family oriented. With seven adult children and seven grandchildren, one of their top priorities is to keep us all enjoying life together. They're very savvy with financial matters. They constantly save up money so they're able to vacation together a few times a year. Because of them my children have traveled to more places than I have in my entire life! Because of them, my family and I were able to go to Walt Disney World for the first time.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> For Christmas 2015, and for the second time, my parents gifted their children with a resort expenses paid trip about three hours from our home, to Branson, MO. They rented out both sides of a log cabin duplex and purchased all food items- breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks. The only thing we were responsible for were our transportation and activity expenses.</div> <br> *Prepare yourself for a photo overload*<br> <br>

Family, Travel

Holiday Travel Tips For Big Families

*Thanks to my bonus mom for helping me write this!♥ My parents inspire me so much. They're very family oriented. With seve...

Boys Will Be Boys: Bruises, and Scrapes, and Breaks, Oh My!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNntk3Q9i-vuHQxGsmATJGyNCviBsXLJBSw30tK4E4eZqIOgYDsRRG8gR4CfrmLOVAkWOl9_Uk1KckeiEkmH-zBDV4_ADMbPzPVcEtb6NPLa84JM_Y6OBTqI25OYuHnyIlxIWHwyGD5e-v/s1600/20160301_105042GabeBlog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kid, fracture, child, children, broken, bone, arm, elbow, pediatric, supracondylar fracture of the humerus" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNntk3Q9i-vuHQxGsmATJGyNCviBsXLJBSw30tK4E4eZqIOgYDsRRG8gR4CfrmLOVAkWOl9_Uk1KckeiEkmH-zBDV4_ADMbPzPVcEtb6NPLa84JM_Y6OBTqI25OYuHnyIlxIWHwyGD5e-v/s640/20160301_105042GabeBlog1.jpg" title="" width="640"></a></div> <br> Recently, something my husband and I had been dreading for awhile (because my son is a fearless little daredevil!) happened- our youngest son, Gabriel, fractured a growth plate in his right elbow. More specifically, he has a non-displaced <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682409/" target="_blank">pediatric supracondylar fracture of the humerus</a>.<br> <br>

Family, Kids, Motherhood

Boys Will Be Boys: Bruises, and Scrapes, and Breaks, Oh My!

Recently, something my husband and I had been dreading for awhile (because my son is a fearless little daredevil!) happened- our younge...