My boyfriend and I took the holiday cruise to Hawaii. We'd taken the Panama Canal cruise the Christmas before and really enjoyed getting away for the holiday! This cruise seemed extra special in that it covered both Christmas and New Year's. It was about $1,000 more, but since my business is closed for the holidays - I didn't need to use much vacation. Since we live near LA, it was also great not to have the luggage limits the folks who flew experienced.

Our start was a bit rocky! Literally! Shortly after we took off, we encountered VERY high winds and waves. Even though the cruise was sold out, so many people were sick that the dining rooms were very sparsely populated.

This leads to my first piece of advice. The BEST cure for seasickness is Ginger pills. I was first offered them on a catamaran on the Great Barrier Reef. I didn't feel sick at all and NO side effects. They sell them in the gift shop - but next year I'll buy them ahead of time. I did feel a bit scared the first night. The ship tossed and shuddered something awful. I kept waking my boyfriend because it felt like the ship would turn over. Read more