Sun, Sand & Service -- Winter 2026 Awaits

            It’s still August, but the cooler weather lately has gotten all of us thinking about autumn, and what comes after that: winter. And when our clients start thinking about winter, they start calling us. Now’s the time to plan your winter 2026 getaway, and that usually means someplace with sun, a beach and somebody else to do the cooking and cleaning for a few days.

            If you’re looking for an all-inclusive, no-kids-allowed resort, the Caribbean has plenty to choose from. FamilyVacationist.com travel writer Caroline Teel recently put together a list of the ten best:

·         Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, Jamaica. The first vacation my husband-to-be and I went on was to a Sandals near Ocho Rios, and this one sounds even better. The resort’s offshore private island features over-the-water bungalows and villas, complete with a Balinese-style pool, swim-up bar and Sandals’ renowned Red Lane Spa. More than two dozen types of rooms allow for amenities like private plunge pools, in-room jacuzzis, and over-water hammocks-for-two. And did we mention the resort’s nine restaurants?

·         Cocos Hotel Antigua, Jolly Harbour, Antigua. Nestled against one of Antigua’s most beautiful white-sand beaches, this is a boutique all-inclusive resort where you can choose from 34 cliff-top cottages, all equipped with hammocks, Adirondack chairs and outdoor showers. You can take in the sunset while sipping champagne in your private cliffside infinity pool.

·         Stolen Time, Castries, St. Lucia. We got married on this island, and if we ever go back, this is the resort for us: an island escape with a focus on wellness. Within a seven-acre tropical garden on the island’s northwest coast, this resort is along a golden-sand beach and offers 100 guest rooms (including 43 suites), three restaurants and three bars. Enjoy holistic spa treatments along with yoga, meditation, archery and art classes. The resort’s philosophy: “It’s about time you introduced your body to your mind.”

·         Serenity at Coconut Bay, Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. Or maybe we’ll go to this one. Three dozen luxurious suites await the visitor, each with a four-poster mahogany bed looking out through a glass wall to a private patio with a personal plunge pool and waterfall, hammock for two and a fully stocked wet bar. Inside, there’s a walk-in rain shower, soaking tub, espresso machine and Bose entertainment system. All reservations include butler service, unlimited gourmet dining, premium spirits and craft cocktails, private airport transfers and romantic activities like a Jazz Sunset Cruise.

·         Sandals Grenada, St. George’s, Grenada. Sandals scores again with 22 room types, but for a truly romantic vacation, book the SkyPool Butler Suite. You’ll find a private infinity pool cantilevered over the beach for incredible ocean views. The resort also has ten gourmet restaurants, a swim-up bar on the beach and PADI-certified scuba diving, just one of the standard amenities.

·         Couples Tower Isle, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This is one we have visited, and I’m not surprised it’s on this list. The five-star property is perched on one of Jamaica’s best white-sand beaches. There are eight Oasis Spa Villas, offering guests unlimited spa treatments during their stay. Dave and I still talk about the couples massage we indulged in. Other amenities include unlimited gourmet dining, premium spirits, scuba diving, golf, tennis and off-site excursions. And if you dare, there’s also a clothing-optional beach on an offshore island.

·         The Caves, Negril, Jamaica. If you’re looking for an intimate resort experience, here it is. The Caves has only 12 rooms, all custom-designed cliffside cottages with luxurious interiors, and many have outdoor showers and private patios. Within the resort are private caves, a saltwater swimming pool, a spa featuring the trademark Jamaican brown sugar body scrub, and local nightlife.

·         Hermitage Bay, St. Mary’s, Antigua. A recent multimillion-dollar renovation has made this resort on the island’s west coast better than ever. It now has 30 fully redesigned guest villa suites, many with their own pools and outdoor showers, a refreshed spa and a new beach club concept and bar. Nestled within 140 acres of tropical gardens, activities include guided farm tours, weekly cooking classes, sunset cruises and snorkeling trips. Helicopter and boat rides are also available to the nearby island of Barbuda, where guests can visit a sister resort.

·         Sandals Barbados, St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados. This resort offers 280 suites in 14 categories, so you’re bound to find something that fits your tastes and desires. With swim-up rooms that allow you to walk right out into the island’s longest lazy-river pool to suites that include butler service, the resort is comprised of three unique villages, so you can experience something new without leaving the property. There are 11 different restaurants and eight intimate lounges and bars, too. And if you want to get married here, wedding services are free.

·         Pineapple Beach Club Antigua, Long Bay, St. Philips North, Antigua. This resort is the picture of island perfection, nestled between a powdery white beach and a lush green forest. You can frolic in the three on-site pools, play pickleball, sample traditional Caribbean cuisine, sail, snorkel—it’s all included. The resort’s Tranquility Body and Soul Spa welcomes you with a variety of relaxation and wellness offerings. Each of the club’s 180 rooms has a balcony or patio that offers views of the beach, garden or pool.

Wow! I’ll have to tell my husband that our beach getaways are already set for the next decade! Ready to explore one of them yourself? Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

 Cruising the Med — Family Edition

 
What’s better than spending a week on a luxury cruise liner in the Mediterranean? Spending it with family! That’s what my husband Dave and I did this past week, and while it was hot and at times a little too busy, we had a wonderful time.

            Dave’s late parents had taken their kids and grandkids on two family cruises back in the 2000s, and they were surely looking down on us last week as a dozen family members gathered in Barcelona, Spain, to board the Ascent, one of the newest ships in the Celebrity fleet. We set sail on August 2 and headed east.

            Day 1 – Celebrity’s boarding procedure is almost entirely online, thanks to its app, and went very smoothly. We had cabins in the concierge class, with virtual balconies in each and easy access by elevator or stairs to the rest of the ship. Our service throughout the cruise was first-rate.

            Day 2 – At sea, we explored the ship and had the first of many excellent meals. The Ascent has four main dining rooms and some smaller, specialty restaurants that are an extra charge, but worth it, from what we were told—we typically dined as a family, so it was more convenient to stick to the larger rooms. And the food…well, as any veteran cruiser will tell you, good food is an absolute must, and the Ascent came through. Its Oceanside Café provided a well-stocked buffet that didn’t feel like one. We had breakfast there every day and one or two evening meals as well.

            The large outdoor pool was crowded but lively, so we preferred the smaller, indoor solarium pool with its gentler ambience. Our 7-year-old grandson, Pax, was a big-pool guy, though, and also made use of the special kids’ room with video games and foosball. Dave and his brother Alan made sure to visit the ping-pong tables.

            Day 3 – Our first shore excursion was on the central Mediterranean island of Malta. The island has been an important place for centuries, thanks to its strategic location in the middle of the Med, only about 90 miles south of Sicily and almost as close to North Africa. We went ashore and boarded small boats for a tour of the renowned coastal blue grottos, and then explored the capital city of Valletta, with its fortresses, museums and churches.

            Day 4 – Another day at sea as we sailed east. Dave and I visited the spa on Monday, and on this day, I took our daughter Kim for a treatment as a birthday gift. Indulging yourself in the ship’s spa can be a little pricey, but it’s well worth it. Our attendants were highly skilled, and we left feeling refreshed and invigorated.

            There’s plenty to do on a ship during sea days. The casino is open and always busy, and the shops offer items ranging from jewelry and wristwatches to clothing and souvenirs. There’s an art gallery, and photographers are everywhere, providing plenty of opportunities for family photos.

            The entertainment on board was first-rate, too. We caught the comedy show by English comic Tom Deacon and a dazzling hour-plus of music from another Brit, singer-pianist Claire Maidin. Shipboard shows have come a long way in the time since we started cruising in the mid-90s, with lavish productions, often involving visual effects and Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics. We didn’t make the magic show on our last night aboard, but Pax said he really enjoyed it.

            Day 5 – We came ashore on the Greek island of Mykonos and took a smaller boat over to the nearby island of Delos, once home to a thriving commercial town in ancient times. The ruins and museum were fascinating, and when we returned to Mykonos, we spent time wandering through its charming alleyways, enjoying a near-overdose of window shopping. Greek shops will take euros for cash but credit cards are always welcome.

            Day 6 – Today we arrived in Turkey, boarding our tour bus in the port city of Kusadasi and heading to ancient Ephesus. We visited the Basilica of St. John, where the Apostle John is entombed, followed by a journey up into the nearby hills for an emotional visit to the final home of Mary, mother of Jesus. Then we explored the ancient city of Ephesus, which housed over 100,000 people during its peak years some 2,000 years ago. This is where the Apostle Paul lived and preached, and the ruins are spectacular. It was hot, about 100 degrees, but we made liberal use of sunscreen, kept our hats on and water bottles handy, and we were fine.

            Day 7 – Back to the Greek islands, this time to Santorini, one of the most charming of the 270 or so that are inhabited. Our daughter had invited us to join her family in a photo shoot, which produced some great results with the stunning vistas of the village of Oia and the Aegean as a backdrop. We had a nice lunch and then a wine-tasting at a charming tavern before heading back to the ship, stopping in the village of Fira and then walking the twisting, turning Karavolades Stairs (all 588 of them) down to the Old Port, where we boarded the tender for a welcome return to the ship for our final night aboard.

            Day 8 – Disembarkation was just as smooth as boarding the ship had been. We’d arranged a small tour bus for our group to pick us up at the port of Piraeus and take us into the sprawling Greek capital of Athens for our tour of the ancient Acropolis. Our guide there did a fine job telling us about the history, art and architecture of the place that was the center of the ancient Greek world. We were a little bit weary when we finally checked into our hotel, not too far from the Hellenic Parliament, but we had a great view that night of the moon over the Parthenon.

            Day 9 – We’d decided to extend our stay in Greece to include a day trip to two famous sites of antiquity, the Oracle at Dephi and the Thermopylae battlefield. We engaged a luxury tour bus and enjoyed the drive out of the city and into the countryside. Mountains cover about 80% of Greece, providing some truly spectacular scenery. The Oracle site is easy to access with a self-guided tour, and we learned a lot about this place that was such an important part of ancient Greece. Then, we stopped at Thermopylae, visiting the monument to Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, who confronted invading Persians at this then-narrow pass in 480BC and fought to the last man, helping to save Greece from conquest.

            Day 10 – Our visit had finally ended, and after a long day of travel, starting with a 6am flight from Athens to Amsterdam, we finally arrived home some 23 hours after a groggy middle-of-the-night wakeup call. We had a wonderful time with our family and saw some of the most spectacular sights of two worlds, the ancient and the modern. Our kids are already talking about our next family cruise!

            Vacationing with the family, no matter where you might want to go, can produce memories that will last for generations. How about getting one organized for yours? Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

            

 🚢 Setting Sail in Style: Our Cruise Aboard Celebrity Ascent!

My husband Dave and I are cruising the Mediterranean this week, aboard the Celebrity Ascent, the newest cruise ship in the Celebrity fleet. It’s 1,073 feet long, has 17 decks and we sailed with close to a full load of 3,260 guests. (By comparison, the most famous cruise liner in history, the RMS Titanic, was 882.5 feet long, had 9 decks and set sail on its only voyage in 1912 with space for 2,453 passengers, although only 1,317 were on board.)

            Cruise ships have come a long way in the last 113 years, and one major area is entertainment. Titanic had its own orchestra which performed daily, but that was it. No Broadway-style shows, or night-club acts like we’re familiar with today. (It would’ve been vaudeville in those days.) Recently, Condé Nast Traveler took a close look at the entertainment offered by NCL’s Norwegian Aqua, a ship slightly larger than our Ascent.

            The main show featured on the Aqua is a revue, Revolution, a Celebration of Prince, the late Minnesota-born guitarist and singer. Guests have a choice of how to view the show. The first is in a traditional theater setting with the curtain going up at 7:30pm. The second, two hours later, also takes place in the theater, but converted to a nightclub. As is commonplace on larger ships these days, entertainment can be found throughout the ship: in the atrium, on the pool deck, and just about any public place where passengers might be getting bored. Following current trends, NCL’s shows are going for less tradition and more “flash.” The company’s VP of entertainment production told the Traveler, “Our guests want three things: music they know, visual spectacle and narratives that are easy to follow.”

            “Easy to follow” doesn’t mean “easy to produce.” Aqua has more than 40 performers on board, who are expected to perform for 3-4 hours per day. In the Revolution show, there are 98 distinct costumes composed of 384 total pieces and 48 quick changes, 5 of which happen onstage. Every piece is washed and dried in the ship’s laundry every night. The troupe includes 10 dancers, 6 vocalists and 2 aerialists, all of whom also perform in the ship’s other show, a Cirque du Soleil-style production titled Elements: The World Expanded, on the same stage, which also features a magician.

Performers spend up to 6 weeks at the cruise line’s Shows and Experiences Creative Studios learning everything they’ll need for the productions. The studio outside Tampa covers 112,000 square feet. It’s where the line’s 70,000 costumes are sewn, fitted and stored, and where 7,000 pairs of Capezio dance shoes are inventoried. Materials for set pieces are also sent here to be constructed and sent out to shipyards for installation.

These mammoth facilities are common among the cruise lines. Royal Caribbean has a 130,000-square-foot space in Biscayne Bay on the campus of Florida International University. RCL has recently produced shows like Grease and Mamma Mia! and employs athletes like high divers, figure skaters and even skateboarders. Most lines employ their entertainers on six-month contracts, and the work is popular: at NCL, about 75% return for a second gig. Many of the executives in charge of entertainment on the lines started out as cast members.

Two of the aerialists in the Revolution show, Monique Colondres and Nazar Bondarchuk, developed their act together after meeting and falling in love on a previous contract. “Performing while traveling by ship means constantly adapting,” Colondres said, and her partner added, “That’s what keeps the work alive.”

Our ship, the Celebrity Ascent, isn’t taking a back seat to any other ship when it comes to entertainment. We’ll be seeing shows that were months in the making, with 17 choreographers, 500 costumes, a production team of more than 100 people, performances of more than 80 songs and a troupe of 7 world-class acrobats, including the Bilak Brothers, a pair of Ukrainian aerialists who have performed all over Europe and on international TV.

As on every cruise ship these days, especially those in the mid-sized (like Ascent) and large ships, there’s something going on all the time. It can be overwhelming, but the ships do a good job of providing quiet spaces for relaxation, lounging around a pool or reading in an atrium. And, of course, conversation with your fellow passengers. As for us this week, we’re thinking that we’ll be kept busy with our 7-year-old grandson!

Ready to set sail? We’re already booking cruise vacations into 2027, and space is filling up fast. Give us a call!