32 sugar land magazine Visit SugarLandMagazine.com for Fort Bend jobs, events, news and more.

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1 Fort Bend TRAVEL Cruising in the Hawaiian cruises allow vacationers an ideal way to explore the picturesque islands 32 sugar land magazine Visit SugarLandMagazine.com for Fort Bend jobs, events, news and more. Families will fall in love with Tahiti s sparkling, azure waters

2 Off-Season Fort Bend Families Discover the Fun and Savings of Winter Cruises Winter cruises are the perfect way for your Fort Bend family to experience relaxing, tropical destinations around the world Written by Danielle Hibberd Carnival s Grand Cayman cruise is one many cruises departing out of the Port of Galveston With water slides, pools, and tanning decks, cruises offer many fun ways to soak up the tropical sun Cruises have a variety of excursions for passengers To advertise, call or sales@sugarlandmagazine.com sugar land magazine 33

3 wwinter cruises are definitely what s hot in Fort Bend, especially when the chilly weather is not. Taking a cruise with family, friends, or your sweetheart is a great way to escape the winter blues and bask in the warmth of the tropics. With the sunny shores of the Mediterranean, Europe, Caribbean, and south Pacific beckoning, your Fort Bend family is sure to find the perfect place to rest and relax while working on a tan. Waking up in Paradise Be sure to check out all the great deals the winter cruise season has to offer, so you can spend more time waking up in paradise. The winter cruising season goes from Thanksgiving to Easter, but that s when you ll find the cruise prices are at an all-time high, says Jay Islam, CEO of Sugar Land-based Grand Travel and Cruise. There s a window of opportunity for winter cruisers looking for the cheapest prices. Those times are between the holidays. The last two weeks of January are prime dates for getting the best rates. Heather Lynch-Blosse of Sugar Land enjoyed her winter getaway to the Caribbean, where she awoke to a blazing heat reminiscent of an early spring thaw. [I loved] escaping the wet, cold winter days for a week of warm, bright sun, she says. As the 25-year old college student and nearly 3,000 other passengers cruised toward Jamaica, she settled into a pattern of sun-soaked relaxation. I loved nothing more than to wake up, have breakfast, slip into my swimsuit, and sunbathe on the deck for hours, sipping chilled mixed beverages as the sun shone above, recalls Lynch-Blosse. I loved the abundant food, too. That alone made the cruise worth it! Lynch-Blosse set sail from Galveston with her family on Carnival Cruise Line s Conquest, a floating city that is longer than three football fields and more than twice the height of Galveston s famous tall ship Elissa. Cruising the Caribbean Living in Southeast Texas, Fort Bend residents are at a huge advantage when it comes to catching the next ship sailing to paradise. The Port of Galveston is a hot spot for cruise ships. Most cruise vacations are four, five, or seven days and stop at some popular Caribbean ports of call like Belize, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay. Carnival has you covered if your destination is the Caribbean. With ships coming and going every weekend, Carnival cruisers can t get enough of the tropical sun. You will even find some destinations that offer an abundance of fun and interesting on-shore excursions. In Belize, you can snorkel and scuba dive in the crystal clear water, and history buffs can explore the ancient Mayan ruins in nearby Lamanai as part of a tour. Experiencing European Coasts If you want to cruise the magnificent Mediterranean, you ll have to fly first. Popular cruise departure points are Athens in Greece, Barcelona in Spain, Monte Carlo in Monaco, and Civitavecchia, which is near Rome in Italy. Once you set sail, much of Europe s southern shores will be within reach, including the Greek Isles, Italy, France, Spain, and even Croatia. Celebrity Cruises offers a host of itineraries in the region, ranging from seven nights to 13. A winter departure can put you in the eastern Mediterranean for a week and a half of sun-filled bliss, touching down in Sicily and southern Italy, and the shores of Athens, Crete, and Rhodes in Greece and Ephesus in Turkey. Pleasures of the Polynesian Do thoughts of Hawaii and the south Pacific send warm and exotic pulses through your veins? Then you will want to check out some of the highlighted cruises offered by Princess Cruises. On the short Many cruises offer fun tropical activities, like horseback riding along the coast Photo by Andy Newman for Carnival Cruise Line 34 sugar land magazine Visit SugarLandMagazine.com for Fort Bend jobs, events, news and more.

4 side, these Hawaiian and south Pacific cruises are 10, 12, and 14 days, which will leave you plenty of time to forget about the chilly, wet winter. The Polynesian culture is vibrant and the people are welcoming and hospitable. The coral reefs of these waters are full of beautifully colored fish and provide ample opportunities for snorkeling, scuba diving, and even fishing. Kick back and experience the islands, which have some of the most pristine and beautiful beaches in the world. To get to the Hawaiian Islands, just jump on a plane from Houston to Los Angeles and depart on a 14-day round-trip cruise of these breathtaking locales. Some key destinations to visit are Diamond Head, Kaneohe Bay, and the coffee plantations of Kona. An International Adventure Perhaps you will want to challenge your sea legs and take a transatlantic cruise. If so, Royal Caribbean is the cruise for you. You can go halfway around the world in only 16 days. First, you will have to fly to Spain and depart from Barcelona. You will even get to hit a few Spanish destinations, such as Valencia, before heading off to Lisbon, Portugal, and then the Canary Islands. From there, you will spend about a week crossing the Atlantic before arriving at Salvador da Bahia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It may be hard to head home after such an amazing adventure! How to Book an Ideal Cruise For the first-time cruiser, Islam recommends that folks visit a travel agent. Travelers have nothing to lose, as travel agents do not collect a commission from the client. Agents are there to take all the worry and hassle out of the hands of the client and find a cruise that fits the client s desires. Islam will freely tell you, with excitement in his voice, This is what I love to do - give guidance and make sure my clients are happy. SLM DANIELLE HIBBERD is the proud mommy of three boys and enjoys living in Sugar Land. Photo by Andy Newman for Carnival Cruise Line The inviting shores of Key West beckon aboard a winter cruise To advertise, call or sales@sugarlandmagazine.com sugar land magazine 35

5 Many cruises offer a variety of family-friendly activities like movies under the moon Cruise Off-Season Savings Western Caribbean Seven Days Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico February $609 April $639 July $999 Eastern Caribbean Seven Days Nassau, Bahamas; Freeport, Bahamas; Key West, Florida February $689 April $729 July $1099 Please mention you found this info in Sugar Land Magazine 36 sugar land magazine Visit SugarLandMagazine.com for Fort Bend jobs, events, news and more.