This Mamma Travels

Image courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

A family journey we didn’t expect — but feel led to take.

In just a few days, our family will be boarding a ship with Norwegian Cruise Line for a spring break cruise to the Bahamas.

This trip came together quickly, almost unexpectedly and in many ways, it already feels like one of those journeys where you can see God working through the details long before you ever leave home.

This will actually be our first cruise as a family and my husband and I’s first cruise together as well. That alone makes this trip special to us.

But the story of how we ended up booking it is a little more complicated… And a lot more meaningful.

The Booking Process (and a Few Unexpected Turns)

I actually discovered the cruise using my preferred travel agent tools.

That’s one of the advantages of working in travel: you can either collect commission or apply the agent rate to reduce the overall cost of a trip. For this booking, we chose to reduce the price since we were planning this last minute.

Everything looked straightforward at first. Then the booking was denied.

The first issue was a fraud alert from our bank which, unsurprisingly, is very common with cruise bookings. I actually see this all the time when helping clients plan trips. Banks tend to flag cruise purchases more often because of the larger transactions and international travel components.

So, we cleared the alert and tried again. Then, the cruise line denied the booking.

I immediately called customer service and reached a representative (after hours) who was overseas. Unfortunately, they were not able to resolve the issue and advised us to wait until the U.S. office opened the next morning. Norwegian would call me, which was appreciated because I did not want to spend all morning on hold.

That moment was a bit disheartening, especially with cruise availability changing quickly before my eyes on the Norwegian Cruise Line booking portal. But it ended up working out in a way we didn’t expect.

When we spoke with the US based agent the next morning, we learned something surprising. Even though the website listed a cabin that could sleep five people, it actually wasn’t available, but the illusive unicorn exists – apparently.

So, we were suddenly looking at needing two staterooms or a larger suite, which normally would have pushed the price well beyond what we were planning to spend.

But this is where the story shifted.

The agent honored the rate from the original five-person cabin because of the website issues and helped us secure two oceanview cabins for the price of one. Then after learning that I was a credentialed travel agent, she offered me the travel agent upgrade rate of $20/stateroom and for a total of $40 dollars we upgraded to two connecting ocean-view balcony suites instead!

We went from nearly losing the booking…

to having far more space than we expected.

Sometimes the moments that look like roadblocks at first are God’s hand moving in your life to turn the situation into something really special. Beyond what you imagined or thought possible.

A Detail That Made Us Pause

While we were researching the cruise, I noticed something interesting on my own website.

One of the images used to represent cruises was actually a photo that included the Norwegian Getaway, the very ship we were booking.

It was tucked into a beautiful coastal scene, almost easy to miss.

Right below it was another image that caught our attention: a church illuminated beneath the northern lights, with the cross glowing above the entrance.

For us, it was just one of those quiet moments where you pause and say: Thank You, Jesus!

For us this is especially true, considering the very first cruise my husband went on never landed, the ship had to turn around because of a tropical depression – so he’s never actually been to the Bahamas.

This time will be different. Our first cruise together as a family, going back to the place he never got to actually see. To me this trip has been a miracle in the making and to my husband, another testimony to God’s redemptive power.

The Cabin We Ended Up With

Originally, we selected the last available room that could sleep five guests.

That’s actually been the biggest obstacle to us cruising in the past. Once you need two rooms, the cost of a cruise can quickly rival a week at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean.

But the final result ended up being better than we expected:

• Two adjoining balcony staterooms
• Ocean views
• Extra beds
• Extra space for our family

For us, it is a total blessing.

We also opted for the drink packages, not for alcohol, but for sodas, teas and the occasional mocktails for the kids. When the system recognizes children as minors, their package price drops significantly, which was helpful. However, the NCL drink package became the center of a bit of controversy recently.

The internet at large suggests that NCL has already rescinded the changes to the drink package system on their private island Great Stirrup Cay. The process was changed such that on-island drinks beyond water and tea required you to pay extra on the island.

While we could talk all day about how consumers at large are being weighed and measured for cash extraction all day long, we need to keep in mind that this experience is supposed to be simple, all-inclusive and without unnecessary hoops to jump through.

However, I absolutely appreciate how quickly NCL, allegedly, has rolled back that change after many customers complained about the extra burden while on shore. Price increases aside, I prefer not to need more valuables while I am corralling our children in the pool or in the ocean.

We’re still researching whether those packages apply on Norwegian’s private island day, since cruise lines can differ quite a bit in how they handle that.

Travel planning always comes with a few unknowns. But that’s part of the process.

What We’re Packing (Family Strategy)

Packing for a cruise with kids is always a balance between bringing what you need and keeping things manageable.

Our approach this time is simple.

We’re flying on Spirit Airlines, which means packing smart really matters (remember the cash extraction comment?). We are bringing one checked bag for all 5 of us and each person will carry a travel backpack that fits within airline limits, something we’ve tested across several airlines before.

Most clothing will go into the checked bag, while our backpacks will carry:

• electronics
• an extra change of clothes
• travel essentials (hair, face and oral hygiene products)

We also picked up a few things for the trip:

• underwater phone pouches
• updated phone for our oldest daughter, who will be helping with photos and videos
• new swimsuits for the kids
• reef-safe sunscreen
• long-sleeve swim tops for sun protection
• swimming goggles

I and our oldest daughter are the photographers in the family and we are already planning to capture as much of the journey as possible.

Each of our kids will also bring one stuffed animal, but not their most important one, just in case it accidentally gets left behind on the ship.

We’ve learned a few lessons over the years.

Travel Day Plan for Our First Family Bahamas Cruise

We’re arriving in South Florida a day early to give ourselves some margin before embarkation.

We’ll be staying at Waldorf Towers South Beach, which sits right along the coast near a beach area with a playground, something our kids will definitely enjoy after the flight.

Our plan looks something like this:

• Fly out of our home airport location
• Arrive at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
• Take a rideshare to South Beach
• Spend the afternoon exploring the beach area
• Grab dinner and rest up for embarkation day

The next morning, we’ll head to the port for our 11:30 embarkation window.

Since the first day of the cruise is a sea day, we’re planning to spend a lot of time exploring the ship and capturing content for upcoming posts, videos and social media. Including the next posts in this series.

This trip is both a family experience and part of vlogging the experience of travel for others.

A Surprise We’re Keeping from the Kids

One of the most meaningful parts of this trip is something our children don’t know yet.

We haven’t told them.

As far as they know, we’re just going somewhere for spring break.

The day we actually booked the cruise, something happened that caught us off guard. During prayer that day, our youngest child, who has no idea about the booking, started praying out “Jesus make Mamma and Daddy take us on a cruise please!!!”

The excitement and gusto with her prayer plus the timing of it had us both in total awe. This was a signal to us that were on the right track.

¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! — Matthew 7:11

As earthly parents, we want to provide and surprise our kids with good gifts. It’s part of the territory of parenthood and it’s a reflection of our everlasting Father’s character. He delights in surprising His kids! So, we decided to keep the trip a complete surprise. Even when we’re on the plane. They’ll only find out once the ship comes into view when we get on Dodge Island.

Moments like this remind us that this trip isn’t just about travel. It’s about witnessing God’s attentiveness to the small things, confirming that when we delight in Him, He aligns our hearts with His kindness in ways we couldn’t have planned.

The “wonder” isn’t that we got a vacation; the wonder is that the Master of the Universe cares about the specific, small prayer of a child to answer it before she asked and was kind enough to make us witnesses to it.

Expectations (or Maybe Just Trust)

If I’m being honest, I don’t have a long list of expectations for this trip. I’m simply grateful for the opportunity to take it.

My husband’s first cruise years ago didn’t quite go as planned – a tropical depression kept him from even seeing the island. And his first time to truly experience the Caribbean was actually with me while we were on our honeymoon.

So, in a way, this cruise has a redemption undertone to it as it is an undoing of that letdown so many years ago.

• Our first cruise as a family.
• Our first time seeing the Bahamas together.
• And hopefully the beginning of many more adventures.

We’ll be sharing the full journey here on the site, from embarkation day to ship life, food, ports and what cruising with kids is really like.

And if this trip teaches us anything, we’ll pass that along too.

Because sometimes the most meaningful trips are the ones you didn’t plan far in advance. They’re the ones you simply step into with faith.

Ready to Set Sail?

The world is waiting and it’s time to make your dream vacation a reality. Whether you’re drawn to Caribbean sunsets, European culture or luxury adventures at sea, I’ll make sure your cruise is smooth sailing from start to finish.

Faith Reflection

One of the most meaningful parts of this trip is the reminder that we are stewards of a Father who hears us. We booked this as a surprise for the kids, but during prayer that same day, completely unprompted, our youngest asked Jesus for this exact thing.

We were caught off guard, not by the request, but by the timing. It reminded us that while we are ‘bought with a price’ and owe Him everything, He still delights in giving ‘good things’ to His children. This trip isn’t just about the destination; it’s about the wonder of being known by God. It’s about filling our hearts with a deeper recognition of His goodness, which is where our true delight is found.”

⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. — Psalm 37:4