SpongeBob Grabs Headlines Again: New Nick-Themed Cruise Announced

Having stamped its slime-infused, orange Day-Glo madness on Orlando's hugely popular (and well-reviewed) Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn, the network behind such popular cartoons as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer has set its sights on the high seas. Yesterday, Nickelodeon and Royal Caribbean International announced a Nick-themed family cruise aboard the Freedom of the Seas this summer. The seven-day cruise will leave Miami on August 10 and include ports of call in Cozumel, Mexico, George Town, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. In addition to the usual family-focused fun aboard the massive, 4,000-passenger Freedom of the Seas (think climbing walls, ice-skating rink, water park, FlowRider surf simulator), those Nick-loving wee 'uns can expect visits from Dora and SpongeBob, game shows with the requisite buckets of slime, and on-deck cartoons and movies. Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting at $3,999 for a family of four; visit www.nickfamilycruise.com for more. Our recommendation to parents for a pre-trip investment? Noise-cancelling headphones.

Skip the Flight on Your Next Caribbean Cruise

Known for its "Freestyle Cruising" option, which allows guests (and especially children) the flexibility of having no fixed dining times or formal dress codes, Norwegian Cruise Line now has its sights set on New York. Four of their fleet will leave from New York this winter, offering families a chance to go on a Caribbean cruise without having to spend money and time flying down to Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Ships embarking from New York include the fleet's newest offering, the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Gem. From mid-February to mid-April, the Gem will sail on weeklong excursions from New York to Florida and the Bahamas before spending the summer in Europe. Ports of call for the ship's 11-day Caribbean voyage include St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, and Tortola. Back on the boat after your day in the tropics, you'll be happy to know that the Gem has ten dining options, large suites, a four-lane bowling alley, a rock-climbing wall, and Nintendo Wii in the lounges. -- Steve Jermanok

Read Away.com's "Family Cruising" for the scoop on the top five cruise lines for families.

Consider Alaska For Your First Family Cruise

I know it's hard to think of Alaska with the chill of winter in the air, but this is the best time to reserve a berth for next summer's voyages. Last August, my family and I took our first cruise together as an extended family into Alaska's storied Inside Passage. We skipped the Disney cruises when the children were younger, not having the patience to deal with hundreds of toddlers in a confined space. I wanted a real cruise, one that would appeal to my nine-year-old daughter and to my 77-year-old father. Alaska and the weeklong jaunt aboard Holland America's Oosterdam fit the bill handsomely.

We enjoyed two days at sea, traveling close to 900 nautical miles from Seattle to Juneau. Binoculars in hand, we would stroll the outside promenade in the early morning hours to spot porpoises and some of the humpback whales that make their way to the Inside Passage each summer from Hawaii. Yet, to my landlubber wife, arguably the best part of the trip is that you're sheltered on both sides of the Inside Passage by islands, so there were no powerful swells or any signs of seasickness.

Unlike a Mediterranean cruise, where you have the futile task of trying to see Barcelona or Rome in a day, six hours is the perfect amount of time to see Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan, the main Alaskan ports on the journey. New shore excursions await Alaska passengers, as cruise lines add more culture, adventure, and history to their tour programs in 2008. The exciting options include ziplining through old growth forest and heli-hiking, where you exit the chopper and walk through terrain that's only been seen by bears. There's also the perennial Alaskan favorite, glacier flightseeing tours to the Mendenhall Glacier or Misty Fjords National Monument. -- Steve Jermanok