Say Aloha this Summer

Hawaii is blessed with nearly perfect weather year round. And lucky for us, there is year round air service to the islands.

The beauty of going to Hawaii, or any other tropical destination, in the summer is that you will pay about 40% less than in the winter and you will have smaller crowds to contend with.

I personally have travelled to the Bahamas, and the Turks 'n Caicos in July and definitely recommend it. It's been my way of guaranteeing good weather on my hard earned days off. I am frightened by the prospect of having cold, mosquito infested camping trips on my only week of holidays.

Here's a great bargain for a family of 4, with Westjet.  It's from Winnipeg to Kona, Hawaii for 7 nights.

If you're from Brandon, you can save a few more dollars and leave your car at home. The only difference is an overnight in Calgary on the way home. But, it should still net you savings over the gas and parking fees to drive to Winnipeg and fly from there. 

If you'd rather stay at the Sheraton Resort, it will just come in at about $300 more per family of 4. 

As always, I suggest reading up on Trip Advisor. Recent reviews are worth their weight in gold. They give you an accurate, real time description on what's going on NOW, and not 2 years ago and in December. 

Here's the Trip Advisor link to the island in general. See if it's the destination for you. 

If you're more interested in big city Hawaii, and lots of glamorous shopping, you would likely prefer Honolulu. If you're more relaxed and chill, you might prefer tacos on the beach in Maui.  Best head over to www.gohawaii.com to see what suits you best. 

The price is sure fabulous on this trip! Flights alone are often $800 per person. Imagine getting a whole week's hotel included for just $130 more, and in Canadian funds? BARGAIN!

Disney Cruise: Part 2... The Sounds

To describe the sounds of a Disney Cruise, I really only need three words:  Soundtrack of Joy.

But if I left the blog at those three words, it wouldn't really be worth reading, would it?  Imagine, if you will, roars of laughter, much applause, big screen movies in Dolby surround sound, and Broadway stage-worthy musical productions! And cheering, lots of cheering! The cheering is very typical of any onboard gathering where the staff/hosts are addressing the guests.

The Disney entertainment staff onboard the cruise are on a mission to make your whole family cheer, laugh and sing. There's dancing, and laughter. Lots of laughter. But, of course you're also going to hear some whining. "Mommmmmm, I want ______________!"  You could fill in that blank with, 1000 different requests from "go down the waterslide" to "see Cinderella" to "have a new princess dress" or "watch the movie" again.

On every deck, every hour of the day, you will hear parents negotiating with their children. Toddlers will be over-tired, teens will be dismissing their families in favour of the Teen Club and Disney Crew Members will be patiently answering questions and inviting guests to the next entertainment activity. But basically, everyone is just negotiating their next magical moment. Everyone has the same goal... to make the kids happy.

One of the greatest sounds I heard on this past cruise (November 2013, Wonder) was at Family Karaoke Night. There was a group of about 6-8 special needs adults and their caregivers enjoying the performances. Then they decided to hit the stage and join in. That's when the magic started! Three of the adults with challenges took the stage to sing the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann." They were off to a bit of a reluctant start and that's when a room full of joyful families chimed in as backup singers and started clapping to the music. IT WAS AMAZING! The joy on the faces of the trio was so special. Everyone in that room was rockin' and having an really great time.  It was the BEST and most memorable version of "Barbara Ann" I've ever heard!

I don't have any video to share, because I'm proud to say I was simply "in the moment." And that moment, was pure Disney awesome! Trust me!