Summer Vacation Ideas for Kids & Teens

Summer has arrived and with it the ever pressing question- “What are we going to do while school is out?” If you have kids and teenagers in your life you know it can be challenging to plan a vacation for the whole family. Summer is also the time for great vacation deals. Whether you are looking for a last minute vacation in the coming weeks or beginning to plan a big trip for next year, there are some great deals around that also cater to families providing memorable experiences for everyone.

Part of planning a family vacation is the budget. If you are ready to take a family cruise and want to maximize your dollars for activities and excursions, cruise companies such as MSCCruises have several sailings where kids aged 11 and under cruise free. Norwegian Cruise Line also offers free cruising for a 3^rd or 4^th passenger in a stateroom, making it easier to cruise with the whole family. Both of these cruise lines offer a variety of age appropriate programs and activities sure to keep a smile on everyone. Cruises offer a lot of

activities for every age group, making this option and ideal choice when it comes to multi-generational travel. Most cruise companies have special programs and events just for kids and teens. Princess Cruises offer their Youth Centers and Teen Lounges, and Holland America Line has Club HAL, the Teen Loft and even specialized culinary experiences for kids ages 3-18. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has an award winning Ocean Adventure Youth Program and age appropriate activities on board. Cruise companies understand the value of vacationing with your family, and the benefit of providing activities and experiences geared towards different ages and tastes, making traveling with your kids and teens relaxing and fun.

Many travel and tour companies have realized the value of creating unique experiences when it comes to travel. This includes kids and teens. When you travel with your family you are creating life long memories. For many today this includes personal travel opportunities where the world is brought alive through up-close interactions.

Tauk Tours, an award winning luxury tour company, has created TaukBridges, travel with the whole family in mind. They offer a variety of adventurous vacations from African safaris to Costa Rica zip lining and river rafting, and the Galapagos Islands as destinations. Special Tauk Bridges tours even include on-tour film vignettes with BBC Earth natural history experts. If you have a film buff or naturally history scientist in the making, the jungle rafting trip along Costa Rica could be just the ticket with hands on field equipment and experiences.  

If you and your kids love Disney, take your next family vacation a step further with Adventures by Disney. These specially catered travel excursions bring destinations around the world to life like only Disney can. From movie themed trips, such as a Frozen® tour of Norway, to personal Adventure Guides and activities for kids of all ages and adults too, Adventures by Disney brings families together as they travel. 

Both Tauk Bridges and Adventures by Disney have expanded their family vacation offerings to 

include river cruises. Tauk Bridges’ all-inclusive family only river cruises brings families together from around the world, giving kids the chance to make new friends and enjoy age appropriate amenities together. There are shore excursions planned with the family in mind, from bike riding to culinary classes, or exploring the catacomb mazes of medieval Devin Palace on the Rhone River. There is always something to do and exciting places to explore.  

Adventures by Disney has ventured into to River Cruising in partnership with Ama Cruises. With cruises along the Rhine and Danube rivers, these make for a great way to experience northern Europe. Toboggan or zip line your way through the Black Forest on one of their newest river cruises, along the Rhine river. Have chocolate lovers in the family? On the Adventures by Disney Rhine river cruise there is a special stop in Cologne Germany where you can learn to make chocolate from the masters.

Traveling with your family can be a rewarding experience full of great memories and lasting connections. When you are ready to take the kids and teens on an adventure they are sure to remember, contact C.P, Trips and we can help you plan the perfect family vacation. 

Cruising Solo Just Got Easier

Cruising is a great way to take a vacation. There are cruises all around the world fit for any travel budget. Cruise companies offer their own unique style of cruising to appeal to every walk of life. There are specialty cruises with amazing events, and the culinary experiences on board many a ship are spectacular. But there has been one thing that has kept many a solo traveler from enjoying cruising as much as they may like. Until recently it has been standard practice for cruise staterooms to be sold on a double occupancy basis only. This has meant that a solo traveler has had to pay double the rate for a room, yes, that’s right, double the price.

But cruise companies are also hip to new trends and like other industries in travel and tourism, they look for new ways to gain new clients. The latest trend is all about solo travelers. Cruise companies have realized that they can get more solo travelers if they stop making them pay for the extra bed in their stateroom.

More and more cruises are offering solo travelers a solo rate, allowing them easier access to incredible journeys all over the world. Listed below are what some of our Cruise Partners are now offering the solo traveler.

AzamaraClub Cruises has lowered their single occupancy rate to 125% of a double occupancy stateroom. What’s more, the cost includes gratuities for bar, dining and housekeeping staff, saving you even more on your cruise budget.

HollandAmerica Line takes a bit of a different approach to solo travelers. There are several program amenities offered to those cruising on their own, including mixers, parties and cocktail hours for solo travelers, as well as a variety of activities such as their cooking demonstrations, trivia games and wine tastings which any passenger can join. Holland America Line also offers a way for solo

travelers to save money through their SinglePartners Program. You can book a room and get matched with another passenger to share a stateroom. You are guaranteed the lower rate of a double occupancy room even if a match can’t be found.

Norwegian CruiseLine was the first company to include studio cabins, created specifically for the solo traveler. The first were on board their Epic ship, a mega floating entertainment extravaganza. NCL has since added studio cabins to additional ships, and they are all priced without a single supplement fee.

RoyalCaribbean Cruise Line also has studio cabins available with no additional single supplement fee. They offer a variety of staterooms on several of their cruise ships. These include interior staterooms, as well as one with views, and even balcony studios. As a solo traveler on RCCL, you have more options of where you stay on board.

Value River Cruises, is currently offering special deals for solo travelers cruising along the Danube or Rhine rivers in Europe. Typical specials include beverage packages, or on board credit and even discounted shore excursions. Now companies are offering to waive the single supplement fee for solo travelers on select cruises.

With these new options coming more available for the solo traveler, cruising is easier than ever before. For a small fee Cindy Passannante can help you plan your next cruise adventure. Call or email today at 503-658-5646 or cptrips@aol.com