We recently took a cruise for a family vacation with Norwegian Cruise Lines - our first with that particular line. After you’ve been on a certain number of cruises (this was my 8th) you consider yourself to be a bit of an expert, and you compare the cruise ship you’re on with all of the cruise ships you’ve been on in the past.

Some things we liked:

• The price was right - we took advantage of a kids sail free special and only paid port & tax for 2 of the kids
• The common areas and multiple dining rooms were nicely appointed
• Check in at the terminal was a breeze, and we were welcomed onto the ship with champagne
• The slots were hot, and we won close to $1400
• The kids club did activities in one central location and the kids really enjoyed their time there, and WANTED to be there instead of hanging with us
• Freestyle dining means you eat when and where you’d like to

Some things, we didn’t like:

• Norwegian’s private island, Grand Stirrup Cay, doesn’t even compare to Royal Carribean’s private island CoCo Cay
• Because of the freestyle dining, you don’t get the benefit of a waiter who learns your drink or dining preferences on the first night, thereby catering to you for the rest of the cruise
• The cabins were much smaller compared to the last cruise we took on Carnival

I plan to elaborate more at a future date, but for now, I would do Norwegian again as long as it went to places no other cruise line could take me too. We definitely enjoyed our time, but I prefer Royal Caribbean or Carnival.

JetBlue just announced they’ll be flying non-stop from Tampa to Cancun soon! Fares start at just $100 per person, one way. The only time we’ve ever been to Cancun, it was on a cruise, but I could definitely see rounding up the grownups for a long weekend there, especially with airfare at only $200 round trip. It’s nice to see an airline charging a reasonable fare for once…yes, I’m talking to all of you airlines charging $2 for sodas and $25 for a 2nd suitcase.

I flew JetBlue last year to Boston and loved it. I’m supposed to fly it again in October when I go to NYC. As long as they don’t start charging for the TV privileges, it will remain one of my favorite airlines.