BudgetTravel

The right excursions: "On our cruise, we don't want to do anything we can do at home in Florida," says Wendy. That means they'll pass on hanging out at the beach. Instead, the foursome wants history, culture, and adventure. But which of the cruise excursions are worth the money?

Packing: "What kind of clothes should we bring?" asks Nicole. She's particularly concerned about the two formal dinners, because she's not into wearing dresses.

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

Souvenirs: Wendy asks about "shopping hotspots."

Making friends: Leticia, who likes to go to dances, is curious about the ship's teen program.

Getting ready

Because they're single moms, Wendy and Karen should complete a notarized form stating that each child's father knows she is being taken out of the country. In order to curb possible kidnappings by parents, border authorities are extra cautious about children traveling with one parent.

Ships like the Miracle are so big and stable that it's unlikely anybody will get seasick. To play it safe, we recommend a trip to the drugstore to pick up Bonine and Dramamine, as well as Sea-bands--wristbands that cost around $10 and combat seasickness by pushing on pressure points. What's great about the latter is that there are no side effects (Dramamine can cause drowsiness).

After check-in at the cruise port in Tampa, luggage is taken away, to be delivered to the cabins around dinnertime. We make sure the women hold on to anything they might want during the interim (such as their swimsuits, so they can hang out by the pool).

Casual clothing like sneakers and T-shirts is fine for breakfast, lunch, and most activities, though shorts, jeans, and sneakers aren't allowed during the sit-down formal dinner. There's no need to wear a dress to the formal dinners, though; dressy black pants and a nice top will do. Or the women could opt for the casual, no-reservations buffet, where shorts and flip-flops are always fine.

On board the ship

A roster of activities--such as trivia contests, variety shows, piano sing-alongs, comedian performances, even men's hairy-chest competitions--is distributed every morning. The activities are all free, though it's always a good idea to arrive 20 minutes early to get seats. "I think the towel-folding and other demonstrations sound interesting," says Karen.

Nicole, who aspires to be a chef, should look out for the food-oriented presentations, including the programs in which passengers make their own pizza and ice cream. "Cool," she says. "We can eat our creations!"