My husband and our two boys, celebrated my 50th birthday with a 7-day cruise to Bermuda in late August. Living in Manhattan, it was heaven to take a car service to Cape Liberty and not have to fly. Plus, I've always wanted to sail from New York and it is a unique experience. Due to Hurricane Irene we departed one day late, nonetheless, we had an outstanding experience and did not grieve the lost day. Well, not too much!

My dear friend/college roommate and his partner (as he says, he and I were the original Will and Grace!) flew in from L.A. and joined us on the ship. They ended up changing their flights three times, and after suffering through a most unfortunate car accident that I won't go into here, they made it to NYC and from the moment we boarded, we all put our cares and worries behind us and laughed, ate, sang and danced, like old friends should and let the beautiful Summit carry us away.

A Little Background: In 1985, I worked as an entertainer on a small, well-appointed ship called the Ocean Princess and fell in love with the sea at that time. Fast forward to a few years ago, our family tried out a 7-day Carnival ship out of San Juan. Although my children had a swell time, it was not for us. Too loud, too crowded, just, too much. We set cruising aside for a bit. Read more