The author, pictured with her mother, husband and three sons, said a cruise was a great way to keep everyone entertained on a family trip.
Courtesy of Liz Alternam.
Several years ago, I took my teen sons and my mom to Florida on a brief spring break vacation. I hoped we'd have a great time and make happy memories. Unfortunately, no one could agree on activities or when and where to eat. By the end of four days of nonstop togetherness (and bickering), I vowed never to do it again.A few years and a case of vacation amnesia later, I was determined to try again. With my mom in her 80s and my college-age sons about to leave the nest and embark on adulthood, I didn't know how many more opportunities we'd have to take a family vacation.This time, I wanted an alternative with plenty of dining and entertainment options. Enter: a cruise.Because we live in New Jersey, we chose a voyage setting sail from Manhattan and heading to Bermuda. This eliminated the airport stress that typically involves my husband and mom panicking about passports and my sons splurging on sports-themed neck pillows and junk food.We booked three cabins on the same floor. After a quick pass through security, we were aboard and bound for our first buffet.To our delight, the trip was so much fun that we're going to do it again this summer.You don't need to be "on board" with every activity to have a great time.Each evening, we received a newsletter with the list of activities and events for the following day. There was something for everyone to enjoy together or separately.
