Cathy Olson – Romance and Family Travel Expert

Growing up with a mother who is a travel agent was amazing!  I’ve had the opportunity to take several great trips throughout my life. So there was no question that this was what I wanted to do with my life, so that my family would have the same opportunities.  My husband and I have traveled to some really amazing places and stayed at fabulous resorts. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Hawaii, Fiji, South America, Mexico, and several islands in the Caribbean. Taking these trips at different stages in my life has allowed me to give a good perspective to my clients, whether they are wanting a romantic trip for two or an activity packed family adventure.

Now that we’ve started our family, I have a long list of trips that we want to do with our son! A family cruise on the Allure of the Seas would be great. I would love to see my son interact with Shrek and Kung Fu Panda on the high seas, or even give the Flowrider a shot once he is big enough! Cruises are wonderful for large family groups (Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc.) because there is something for all the generations. Everyone can do their own thing and then meet up at different times of the day over meals, shows, and to share with the group. There is none of the hassle of renting cars and figuring out who is riding in which vehicle, where does everyone want to eat, etc.  And, no matter how big the ship is, there is never an “Oops! We got lost trying to find our way to the restaurant and drove around for an hour” moment to make the vacation stressful.

Also along the lines of an extended family trip would be a holiday cruise on board the new Disney ship. The water roller coaster, the AquaDuck, looks so fun! It would be great to go to Disney World around Christmas time to see all of the fantastic decorations and then spend the holiday with family on a cruise in the sunny Caribbean.

But I have much more in mind for my new family than just cruising. I would also love to take my family to Beaches Ultra-inclusive Resort in Turks and Caicos. They have so much to offer for children and families. It would be so fun to watch my son interact with the Sesame Street characters. He could bake cookies with Cookie Monster, take nature walks with Grover – the characters will even come to the room and read him a bed time story! How exciting for a little tyke! They also have a swim up bar for the kids that is just like the grown ups have (minus the alcohol), plus a water park, and the Xbox game garage. The nicest part about all of this is that there are no added costs once we are there because Beaches is a luxury included resort! No forking over money for meals, game tokens, drinks, and activities everyday.  As an added bonus, the complimentary children’s programs would give my husband and I a chance to have a romantic dinner, have a spa day, or just a romantic walk on the beach.  That’s a plus for any parent!

- Cathy Olson, Travel Professional