BudgetTravel

Who's traveling

Wendy Crawford: A corrections officer in a county jail, she's looking forward to doing 'things together with my daughter, as well as having time apart.'

The group at Stingray City (Vanessa Rogers) FEBRUARY 2007 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Secret Hotels of the Riviera Maya • James Turrell: Sky High • Dubai: Just Add Money • Eat Like a Local: Melbourne • Five Hotels: What 99 Pounds Buys in London • Road Trip: Hawaii • 40 Best Vacations

Karen McCleery: "I want to be treated like a queen for the week," says Karen, a nurse at a mental-health facility. "No beds to make, no dinners to cook, no dishes to wash!"

Leticia Crawford: Wendy's daughter, 13, likes to hang out with her friends and watch Prison Break with her mom. "I guess you can say it's an appropriate show for us to watch, since my mom works at the county jail!" she says.

Nicole McCleery: Karen's daughter, 14, and Leticia became friends as Girl Scouts. Nicole plays softball, and like Leticia, is a member of the school marching band.

Where they're going and why

Wendy and Karen became friends five years ago, after their daughters joined the same Girl Scout troop in Port Charlotte, Fla. When the foursome went on a Girl Scout trip to Key West, they realized they were good travel companions.

Now that Leticia and Nicole are teenagers, they all sought a vacation that gave the girls some independence--while giving the single moms a chance to relax. While none of them has been on a cruise, everyone likes the idea of having a safe, semi-independent environment for the girls, with plenty of activities on the ship and in port. The women eagerly signed up when the office where Wendy works organized a sailing in the Western Caribbean.

The Carnival Miracle is a 2,124-passenger ship with plenty to do. There's a Gothic-castle-themed disco named Dr. Frankenstein's Lab; three restaurants, including an upscale steak house called Nick & Nora's; Frankie & Johnnie's jazz club; and a Broadway-style theater.

How can we help?

First-time jitters: "None of us really know what to expect on a cruise," says Wendy. "We'd appreciate any tips to make the most of our trip."

Seasickness: "I'm concerned about it," says Karen. "A friend of mine got seasick on a ship once."