We're going to Honduras!

And Mexico! In fact, we're going on a Caribbean cruise and we're leaving from Tampa in just four days. Talk about last minute!

Indecision really struck us this month. Sometimes choice is paralysing. We were coming to the end of our time in Orlando and I knew I wanted to do "something" but I just didn't know what.

I spent hours looking at flights and polling you guys on social media. (Thanks for all your input on Facebook!) Costa Rica, Jamaica, Colombia, Cuba.... there were just TOO many options from Florida!

Ultimately we ended up booking a cruise for 6-nights from Tampa on Norwegian Star. It cost $1500 for all four of us which seemed like pretty good value to me. The cabin looks pretty tight and the dining gets mixed reviews but it seems like a great ship for kids. We'll see what it's like!

Bethaney

Where We've Been

We've spent the last month in Orlando and I'm surprised at how much we've liked it! Orlando is a surprising great city - very clean, great weather, palm trees everywhere and good traffic.

My mum came all the way from New Zealand for an eight day visit! She loves her grand kids and it's always nice for us to have an extra pair of hands on deck. We did a lot during her visit! Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach and the gorgeous Clearwater Beach in Florida.

Should you take little kids to Disney World?

I'm not the world's biggest fan of theme parks. I hate queues, especially when it's hot outside. I don't do roller coasters because I have an inner ear problem called Meniere's Disease which can make me very dizzy. Our kids are still little (5 years and 18 months) so many parks don't have rides that cater to their needs.

Our trip to Disney World in Orlando actually surprised me. I didn't hate it as much as I thought!

PROS:

It's an extraordinary day for them. Honestly, the kids just loved it. There did seem to be "magic" in the air. The park, called Magic Kingdom, is extradoniarily well done and quite beautiful in parts.
There were quite a few rides that were suitable for kids of any age which was great. It meant Hazel and I could ride on almost everything along with the boys and we didn't just have to stand around waiting.
You could enter and re-enter. We chose to split our day which was an excellent idea. We went from 10am til 2pm then went home to rest for a few hours before returning from 6pm til 11pm.

CONS:

The lines were awful. Typical wait times for rides were between 25 and 40 minutes but some were much longer. You had to park your stroller before entering the queue which meant carrying Hazel the entire time. We would have waited 90 minutes to see Anna & Elsa. Who could do that with a toddler!?
The price of admission was over $100 per person! You don't pay for kids under 3 luckily but with three adults, one child and parking we spent over $450 for the day. We brought our own snacks & water then went home for lunch and dinner. We also didn't buy any "stuff" at the park. We purchased some Disney gear at Target before we went instead.

Best Posts of the Month

On Flashpacker Family:

The 10 Best Cities in the US to Travel with Kids - HOT OFF THE PRESS! I just published this post on what I think the 10 best cities for travelling with kids are in the USA.

On Blogs We Love:

How to Visit Iran Independently - If there's one country I'm most looking forward to visiting, it's Iran. Our friends Nick & Margherita from The Crowded Planet put together an amazing guide to visiting Iran independently. Yes, it can be done! Who's with me?
Planning a US Road Trip: 10 Things Australians Should Know - I wrote a great guest post for Y Travel Blog on what Aussies and Kiwis should know before planning a US road trip. Read it and let me know what you think!

I've got some Hotels.com discount codes for you to use on US hotels.
Just use THIS LINK to book.

USA5 = Stay 2 nights save 5%
USA8 = Stay 3 nights save 8%
USA12 = Stay 5 nights or longer save 12%

Book dates: 12-Oct-2015 to 25-Oct-2015
Travel dates: 12-Oct-2015 to 24-Jan-2015

Travel Tip of the Month

How to Get a Good Deal on a Cruise

I've noticed that shopping in advance or waiting until the last minute doesn't seem to affect the price much. What does affect the price is the deals offered. Watch out for deals like "3rd and 4th guest travel for free" which is great for families as it drastically cuts the cost of the cruise. Keep your eye on offers for free perks like wifi, speciality dining or drinks. You'll often get free onboard credit or cashback offers too.

Here's a couple of sites I use for searching for cruises - Cruises Only and Vacations to Go.

Behind the Scenes

One of my favourite things about spending the last month in Orlando was our Airbnb. A lovely 3-bed townhouse with a great screened porch. It's so warm here that we head outside the minute we get up to eat breakfast "al fresco" and play with buckets of water.

Travel Product of the Month

With our cruise starting on Monday, my product this month is an essential for cruising! I don't have great "sea legs" so I prep for a cruise by stocking up on Dramamine and Seabands.

Seabands are bracelets that position over pressure points on your wrists to help relieve the feeling of seasickness. They really work! They're also great for morning sickness in pregnant mamas.

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