Disney Cruise Line Children's Programs

Disney Cruise Line has announced a change in its popular kids programming that is sure to please parents -- children no longer will be grouped by age, but by the activities they choose to participate in.

While Disney will continue to recommend activities that appeal to specific maturity levels and ages, all offerings in the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are open to children ages 3 to 12 on the Disney Wonder and ages 3 to 10 on the Disney Magic.

In addition to the obvious benefit of have a wider range of things to do, this change also makes planning easier for friends and extended families who vacation together and have children of different ages. That definitely would be a key point for my children and their cousins.

How could they not be excited by these possibilities with popular Disney characters?

- During the new Cinderella's Royal Ball, young guests can feel like royalty as Cinderella shows them how to be princes or princesses.

- So You Want to be a Pirate offers adventurous tales of the high seas, pirate training for young buccaneers, swashbuckling fun and a special appearance by Captain Hook.

- Children are immersed in the world of Disney- Pixar's Toy Story during Toy Story Boot Camp. Led by Corporal Green, toy recruits participate in interactive activities.
Other activities are hands-on sessions designed to appeal to children's sense of creativity and invention:

- In Ratatouille Cooking School, kids work together to bake tasty chocolate chip cookies.

- During the new Animal Tracking Series, children discover that conservation can be fun as they learn about endangered animals, create an animal tracking device and locate (plush) cotton-top tamarin monkeys using telemetry tracking on Castaway Cay.

- In Flubber, one of the most popular youth activities on Disney Cruise Line, children join Professor Goo in creating magical green goo and other interesting concoctions.

Other onboard youth activities include playful programs such as Mouseketeer Training and Little Einsteins for preschoolers; challenge-and solution-games like Stitch's Great Adventure and Detective School with Goofy.

High-action group activities such as Kim Possible, Cruise Control and The Challenge of Davy Jones; and unstructured free time to enjoy the youth areas, play on computers and spend time having fun with new friends.

And those are just the children-only offerings. Disney stage productions, family activities, first-run films in digital 3-D, poolside movies, deck parties, a family club and the Castaway Cay Family Beach provide even more opportunities for families to make memories together.

American Safari Brings Luxury Yachts to Hawaii

American Safari Cruises is bringing its brand of luxury yacht cruising to Hawaii beginning December 2008.

The company is entering as NCL America is withdrawing two of its large U.S.flagged ships from the islands. All American Safari vessels are U.S. flagged, and therefore can operate inter-island cruises without stopping at a foreign port.

The company will operate the 36-passenger, 145-foot Safari Explorer in the islands. The yacht is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation in Seattle. The cruises will focus on traditional Hawaiian culture and will offer opportunities for guests to get to know local residents by visiting their land and their homes. The all American crew will include Hawaii residents, especially captains and naturalists who have personal knowledge of the area.

The yacht travels only during the day and will visit Molokai, Lanai, Lahaina on Maui, the Big Island and several snorkel/dive sites.

Guests will also have an included Volcanoes National Park helicopter tour and explore backcountry waterfalls and exotic terrain on foot.

American Safari's inaugural Hawaii cruise season is Dec. 19 to May 9, 2009; the Safari Explorer will return in November 2009 for a second season.

For more information, visit 888-862-8881 or www.amsafari.com

American Safari Cruises Offers Small-Group Charters

American Safari Cruises introduced a charter offering for groups of 12 or under to Mexico's Sea of Cortes.

The program is in response to requests for charter cruises on small yachts in Mexico.

The seven-night cruises aboard the 120-foot Safari Quest are available for up to 12 guests through March 25 for $99,995, including a six-person crew with professional naturalist, gourmet dining, a complimentary bar with premium spirits and fine wines, all off-yacht experiences and transfers.

The Safari Quest usually carries 22 guests at a higher charter rate; the special offer for 12 guests represents a savings of up to $27,900.

The one-way itinerary between Loreto and La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, includes tiny Isla Coyote where fishermen and their families live in the only permanent settlement in the islands, snorkeling with juvenile sea lions, a burro ride into the arroyos, and time for watching whales and other wildlife, kayaking, sailing, beachcombing and hiking.