Icon of the Seas Townhouse Suite. Cruise vacations, family suites.

AmaWaterways, AmeLea, river cruise

London, Big Ben, international travel

There is something I hear from families every single year, usually sometime around October when the holiday planning pressure starts to quietly build. It sounds something like this: "I just want to actually enjoy the holidays this year. Not manage them."

Reserving your first cruise is one of those decisions that opens up a whole new world of travel. And I mean that literally — one ship, one unpacking experience, and suddenly you're waking up in a different destination every morning with everything you need right there with you.

cruise port, beach Cozumel

And when it comes to cruises, timing matters more than most people realize.