♪ Colleen Kelly: Life is a journey, not a destination.

However, with a vacation on a cruise line, it is both the destination and the journey.

Where else can you relax by the pool, zip line overhead, see a Broadway-style show, and dance the night away, all while traveling to your destination?

Hi, I'm Colleen Kelly and this is Family Travel and today, we're sailing away on a Caribbean cruise on MSC Seaside.

In this edition of Family Travel, we are going to take you through the Old Bahamas Channel, a famous and narrow channel that separates the Great Bahamas Bank and Cuba.

Then we'll head to Ocho Rios for some Jamaican-style bobsledding.

From there, we are off to the Island of Grand Cayman with its seven miles of sandy beaches, featuring stingrays.

Our next excursion is to Cozumel Mexico in the Caribbean sea and then the final leg of the trip will be in The Bahamas before returning to Port Miami.

Join me and a diverse group of travelers exploring the islands of the Caribbean seas.

At this time, we're bringing our whole family, my parents, Bill and Kathy, my sister, Katie, our husbands, Greg and Dave, and our kids, Shea, Dunovan, and Keelan.

Let's set sail.

♪ Colleen: My name is Colleen Kelly and when I was single, I lived abroad and traveled the world.

Then I became a parent and wondered, how would I ever travel again?

I set out to find a new way to travel and get back to exploring the world family style.

I'm here to guide you on how to get the most out of your family vacation, pack your bags and join me, Colleen Kelly, we're going on vacation.

Announcer: Funding provided by Ted Tetzlaff, attorneys for your personal and business needs.

Colleen: There are so many choices when it comes to cruising, and we wish that we could show you them all.

Regardless of the cruise line you select, be sure to do your research before you go, but don't worry too much.

We are here to help you with what you need, you should pack efficiently, formal attire to swimsuits.

It all depends on you and what you have planned.

Did you book a shore excursion?

Will you be dining in the formal dining room or is the casual buffet more your style?

Think not only about your time in the ship but your port of embarkation as well as your ports of call along the way.

Pack appropriate shoes for each planned activity and pack not only a cell phone charger, but a portable battery backup charger might come in handy too.

♪ Colleen: If you've not been on a cruise ship before or if it has been years, you'll notice that today's cruise liners have a lot more to offer like waterslides, basketball courts, and even zip lines.

From a cable suspended high above the deck, my family and I wanted to check out that zip line.

We were given instructions, including where to put our hands.

I was told if we wanted to spin in circles, we could.

I cannot speak for the rest of the family, but I do not plan on doing that.

It was time for me to step onto the platform.

They attached me to the cable overhead and prepared me for the floor to move out from under me.

With a gentle push, I am off and zip-lining along.

As I soar above the decks below, I can see the Miami skyline, and at such a beautiful day, this is a fantastic view.

This is the longest zip line at sea, which spans an impressive 394 feet in length, and it's really an incredible experience.

♪ Colleen: Many cruise ships offer plenty of activities for guests of all ages to enjoy such as basketball, volleyball, and other sports.

Your kids or teens will never find themselves bored on a cruise ship as many even offer fun and challenging areas like the Forest Aquaventure Park.

This outdoor area gives kids a chance to get some exercise and enjoy a little adventure as they navigate their way through the rope course.

There are just as many places onboard for the adults to have their own adventures of relaxation and fun.

You don't have to disembark your cruise ship to enjoy a waterpark.

Tiny tots will love the play area designed for little kids while teens like ours will get a thrill from the slides.

Dunovan, Shea, and Keelan enjoy the variety of slides at the aqua park on the ship, including two racing slides with transparent loops that hang over the edge of the ship.

If you decide to soak up the waterpark on your cruise, we recommend arriving early in the day.

You'll beat the crowds and the heat.

♪ Colleen: We recommend packing the kids'swimsuits in your backpack or carry-on while boarding your cruise.

Sometimes, it can take up to a few hours for your luggage to be delivered to your room, and this way, you and your family won't have to wait to enjoy the pool.

Another family on board is the Johnson family, who sat down to talk with us about the advantages and fun of cruising.

Holly Johnson is an award-winning writer, author, and somebody who loves to travel with her husband, Greg, and their two daughters, Vivian and Lydia.

Holly Johnson: Well, they've been swimming since they were really little, and she actually was swimming when she was three, and we would have people come up to us in different places and say, "Oh my gosh, your kid's going to fall in the pool."

Then she would swim to the bottom and swim back up.

They'd be like, "Oh, goodness" because she's so small, but they love swimming in the pool.

Gene: We'll talk to you about the shore excursions here on board.

I think there is such a wide variety of different adventures you could have in all of the different ports of call, whatever your pallet is, whatever your taste is, whatever your expectation is.

You can have an opportunity of immersing yourself in the cultures of our different ports of call.

Again, whatever your desire is, whatever your family's objective is in the port of call, we can definitely find something that fits your experience, your expectation, and the adventure that you want to have in those ports.

Coleen: Ocho Rios, Jamaica is stunning with its beaches, mountains, and fun adventures.

You can hike, horseback ride, scuba dive, climb up Dunn's River Falls and so much more.

My family wanted to ride the Mystic Mountain Bobsleds.

This is a true rainforest adventure in Ocho Rios.

♪ Colleen: Ocho Rios is an old fishing village in Jamaica.

It is now a tourist destination surrounded by a rainforest.

At Mystic Mountain, you can ride down the mountainside on a bobsled ride, inspired by the famous 1988 Winter Olympic Jamaican four-man bobsled team.

We just got off and we're in Ocho Rios, Jamaica about to go bobsledding.

The bobsled adventure ride punches through 2,780 feet of twists and turns down a mountain.

Children must be at least 54 inches in height to ride the bobsled without being accompanied by an adult.

♪ Colleen: There's so much more to explore in Ocho Rios, like the Sky Explorer chairlift or fun ride up 700 feet through the tropical forests, zoom through the top of the trees on their zip line or just relax while exploring the Dunn's River Falls, 180-feet-high and 600-feet-long waterfall.

Wear sturdy rubber-soled shoes or take a pair with you if you choose to climb Dunn's River Falls.

♪ Colleen: My sister and I wanted to relax before dinner, so we took mom and girls to an authentic Balinese spa right there on the ship.

Many ships offer spas on board for those looking for a little relaxation.

While people often get manicures before going on their trip, this allows people to get one during their vacation.

For our family, it was a great way for us ladies to enjoy some quality time together.

Katie: It's so beautiful.

I don't think I've ever seen the massage tables, stuff like this.

Look at this.

Colleen: While we enjoyed our massages, my mom got a relaxing pedicure and manicure with our kids.

Keep in mind that most spas on cruise ships are cashless.

Your treatments and tips can be conveniently built to your cabin.

Katie: I feel like I'm getting [crosstalk] so great.

Colleen: Let's see how the guys get ready for dinner.

Boys will be boys.

Our husbands have found the entertainment zone with a full-size bowling alley.

Katie: You're kidding me.

Look at this, it's a snow room.

They were going to [crosstalk].

Colleen: This spas'unique snow room was a treat.

Just like cold water tightens your skin and prevents your pores from clogging, this snow room does the same.

Katie: I need to sit down and enjoy this.

Oh my gosh.

It's amazing.

We left Chicago for this?

This is cool.

Colleen: After freezing in the snow room, we are off to the steam room.

[laughs] This is great.

I'm so happy of this chance together to do this.

Katie: Me too.

Colleen: I know.

Well, this is my favorite part of the whole week.

I love the whole week, I love the excursions, but this is my time to just relax.

Katie: Yes, and being with our family is so awesome, a little long time.

It's s nice.

Colleen: It's also wise to book your spa time in advance, as appointments for the week of your cruise can book up quickly.

Now, our fully grown-up husbands are playing with the Interactive XD Cinema and the F1 simulator.

From the start at the green light to the checkered flag at the finish line, Greg and Dave got very competitive in the Formula One race car simulator.

The state-of-the-art simulator with windshield-wide video screens and movement creates realistic driving conditions on a virtual track.

Who was the big winner?

I would say it was us girls who we're able to enjoy our relaxing time at the spa.

All right, we have to go back to our rooms and get ready for dinner.

If you're wondering what the boys are doing right now, they're getting ready for dinner by napping.

The girls relaxed at the spa and the guys got ready in their own way, it was now time for the entire family to go to dinner.

We gathered to enjoy the modern east-west cooking style of Pan-Asian cuisine.

Asian Market Kitchen by celebrity chef and restaurant tour, Roy Yamaguchi, features four Teppanyaki Grills but with a modern twist on Pan-Asian cuisine.

This was no ordinary dinner, this was also a show.

[foreign language].

♪ Colleen: After such a meal, we could only cheer Mahalo to chef Roy Yamaguchi for creating such an amazing experience.

♪ Colleen: After dinner, my parents took their grandkids out for a treat.

A stopover at Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bars should satisfy any sweet tooth.

As they approached this legendary Italian chocolatier, they were welcomed with samples made fresh by the chocolatier who creates authentic Italian recipes in the chocolate kitchen lab.

The chocolate waterfall running right behind the counter makes it feel like you are in the middle of a Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory.

♪ Colleen: The chocolate was ahead, but now it's time for the adults to get together.

At the social heart of the ship, we found a spectacular spot serving glamorous cocktails, refreshing drinks, and champagne by the glass.

This was simply known as the champagne park.

We enjoyed our drinks and made a toast to one another on this fabulous voyage.

I'd like to do a little toast because it's so great to be with grandparents and all of us together, to family.

Katie: To family.

Cheers.

Colleen: All right.

To the grandparents.

♪ Colleen: One of our favorite things about cruising is that everything is in one centralized location.

This makes cruising a great vacation option for seniors who may have difficulty traveling from one location to another, and they offer wheelchairs, which makes it easy to get around.

Of course, it's still important to be mindful of how long it will take to walk from one side of the ship to the other one when planning activities.

While the average cruise ship is very accessible, special assistance is available for seniors or anyone who may need help.

Getting off the ship is always an adventure and ports like Nassau have a lot to offer.

As the Capitol of The Bahamas, Nassau is a popular destination for cruisers and vacations alike.

Nassau's growth in tourism began in the late 18th century following the American War of Independence.

Today, visitors from all over the world travel to Nassau to enjoy fun activities on their golden sand beaches or just relax out in the sun.

If shopping is more your style, visit Nassau Bay Street for some low-cost souvenirs.

You can expect to find a bargain here as bartering is a tradition.

You can always check out which excursions are available online prior to your cruise or even onboard the ship.

Most cruise ships offer areas where kids can play, learn, and make friends in a safe, protected environment while parents enjoy a little time off.

The Kid's Club is a place specially designed for children to do fun activities or just hang out along with other kids their own ages.

The older kids can join their peers in playing video games, listening to music, or enjoying their favorite cruising moments on social media.

Greg Johnson: Our kids love the Kid's Club.

They will literally spend hours and hours and hours in this Kid s Club.

The last time we were on the ship, they didn't want to leave.

They cried and cried and cried.

They were like, "We don't want to leave" because they had so much fun in the Kid's Club.

It's really a great experience for them, which also makes us have a lot more fun.

If they're having a great time, then it's a great time for us.

♪ Holly: I think the Kid's Club is really important for us as parents, just to get a break from time to time.

They love the Kid's Club.

They might go for two hours and then we go have dinner alone and get some quality time together and then we have more fun, they have more fun.

The thing about the Kid's Club I didn't realize till we started doing it is they make friends there and then they want to go hang out with those friends.

That's why they wanting to go back to the Kid's Club.

They want to spend time with their little friends.

Dave: It's great when we're on the ship because the kids can just be in the Kid's Club, so we don't have to worry about them.

They're enjoying themselves, having a good time, they're safe, and we can just go out and spend time together as a couple and have a great time.

Holly: At the same time, they re only a two-minute walk away from us, so if we want to check on them or if we're worried about them, you can always just go look.

It's very carefree.

Dave: It's like a vacation in a bottle.

Everything is there for you.

Holly: We just show up.

Dave: We just show up, enjoy ourselves, have fun.

♪ Colleen: At Grand Cayman Island, one of the big attractions is Stingray City.

Off the sandy shores, in only three feet of water, you get to swim, feed, or just take an awesome Instagram photo with the friendly Southern Atlantic stingrays.

This is an aquatic lover's dream.

Of course, it's always important to be mindful of wildlife when at home or on vacation, especially when it comes to animals that are vulnerable to endangerment like the stingray.

This stingray experience is minimally invasive and very educational.

Our guide explained to us all about the stingrays.

Guide: Welcome to the stingray sandbar here in the Cayman Islands.

Folks, the stingray's here, these are the Southern Atlantic stingray that was commonly found throughout the Atlantic, the Carribean, and the Pacific.

This one that I'm holding here is a female.

The larger ones that you see over here are females, and the male stingray, they only get to be about half the size of this one, and they're better distinguished by having two claspers right at the base of the tail.

Colleen: While they may not look like it, they're actually related to sharks and feed mainly on the mollusks, crustaceans, and even small fish.

Their smooth, flat bodies allow them to remain hidden under sandbanks in the water, which is why you should always make sure to watch your step.

These days, many cruise ships are making technical advances to make cruising even more user-friendly, with many of them like ours now offering bars digital touchscreens.

These touchscreens are there to help guide you from deck to deck and allow you to conveniently book restaurants, spa appointments, excursions and more.

Holly: These newer ships have a lot more amenities and a lot more things to do, so we're really excited.

Greg: Yes, it's like a floating city now, it's nuts.

It's like a giant hotel floating on the water with all kinds of things to do all the time.

Colleen: When cruising, be sure to take advantage of the various shows and parties offered onboard.

The closing parties are a not-to-be-missed experience.

Gene: The White Party being the pinnacle of any voyage that we do here in the Carribean, we get together, we wear white or you can not wear white with a little bit of camaraderie there because everybody has a white t-shirt, I think.

We're dancing to fun music.

Our entertainers lead us through a full evening of activity, very energetic and just fun.

Again, everyone gets those photos that they want for their social media so everyone back home is very jealous of their experience here onboard.

♪ Colleen: As this journey comes to an end, I want to reflect on what an amazing experience this has been.

Every family member was not only able to enjoy their own favorite activity, but we also had special moments together.

Dunovan enjoyed interacting with the stingrays while Shea and Keelan liked the adventure of the zipline and bobsledding in Ocho Rios.

Mom and dad found time to enjoy each other's company.

The guys got to live out some of their childhood dreams or whatever that was.

My sister and I found a way to relax and just enjoy the moment.

Whatever you do in your trip, whether it is a multi-generation group or just your immediate family, though not always easy traveling with family, family vacations are special, and I hope we showed you that you could capture those moments that you will love for a lifetime.

Thanks for watching Family Travel, I'm Colleen Kelly.

Enjoy making memories on your next family vacation.

♪ Announcer: Funding provided by Ted Tetzlaff, attorneys for your personal and business needs.

Colleen: For more information on upcoming destinations and projects, visit familytravelck.com.

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