Learn Spanish in a Land of Volcanoes

Reshaping everything from train stations to concert halls, a new breed of architects is changing the fabric of our everyday lives with imaginative colossal buildings. Big Shed is a new book that surveys the rise of the big-shed trend over the past 20 years, with stunning photographs of landmark buildings by architects Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Toyo Ito, and many others. See our slide show of the world's most innovative big sheds by clicking on the link in the box at the right. And read an excerpt from Big Shed below. To set foot in the departure lounge of Kansai Airport for the first time can be a humbling experience. This extraordinary one-and-a-half-kilometer (one-mile) long tube gently curves in three dimensions, its steel ribs, woven like a wicker basket, stretching above our heads into the distance. At first this enormous room seems reminiscent only of science fiction, yet there is also something about it that is quite familiar. We can recall searching for frozen peas among the endless featureless aisles of a provincial superstore, playing five-a-side football under yellowish light in an echoing sports centre, and being jostled in the dark recesses of a vast warehouse by a frantic crowd in search of cut-price Scandinavian furniture. Unlike the grandeur of Kansai these memories are of buildings that aren't credited with the title of 'architecture' at all. Instead they are usually described as 'sheds'--or, as they are often of a considerable size, 'big sheds'. But what does this choice of vocabulary entail? 'Shed' tends to describe a building whose purpose is not apparent from the outside, and which consists of simple diagrammatic spaces rather than functionally determined rooms. A 'shed,' unlike a 'building,' warrants no assumption of permanence, and is viewed as having a specific, and comparatively short, lifespan. These simple boxes litter the outskirts of our towns and cities and service the space-hungry, low-cost functions with which we have become familiar. During the past twenty years both the number and size of these structures has risen greatly. At the time of writing a proposal for the largest building in Europe is planned for a site at Pyrstock, in England. Described in the press as 'The Megashed,' it is designed to service a supermarket chain and will have floorspace of 116,125 square metres (1.25 million square feet), larger than London's Millennium Dome. Reprinted from Big Shed by Will Pryce, published by Thames and Hudson in June 2007.

New York, N.Y.: Hi! I'm going to Chile in November for a wedding. I'll stay in South America for five weeks. Can you give me a top ten list of places I must see? Wayne Bernhardson: Sorry I'm on board a little late, but I had a computer glitch. South America is a big continent--Chile is about the size of Texas and Argentina the size of India, so it's not easy to recommend widespread sights for practical reasons. However, in Chile I would say Torres del Paine National Park, the city of Valparaíso, and the Atacama desert would be the top sights for a first-time visitor. _______________________ Norfolk, Va.: I am planning a round-the-world trip and would like to include Patagonia as a destination. The way I have it planned right now, I'll be there in September. Is that too early to arrive and still have the place comfortable and navigable? Also, the majority of my destinations are going to be in more hot, humid, and tropical places so I won't have the luxury of bringing the technical fleeces and other such gear with me. Any advice or suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks Wayne Bernhardson: It depends where you're going in Patagonia--September, for instance, is ideal for seeing wildlife at Argentina's Peninsula Valdes. Generally, the weather is drier on the Argentine side than the Chilean side, but it can still be blustery anywhere in Patagonia. In the more remote areas, services can be limited in September--the season really starts in October and runs until April, with the peak in January and February. _______________________ Bremerton, Wash.: I am flying into Santiago, Chile in early January 2008. I will be visiting the Lake District with a group of about 45 seniors later that month. What are the good spots to visit? Afterwards I will be staying to travel around Chile by myself on the way to Peru. What are the sites that should be seen while visiting Chile? Wayne Bernhardson: Much depends on how much time you have, but I would say that the town of Puerto Varas, on Lago Llanquihue, makes an ideal base for visiting several national parks and the island of Chiloé. Lago Villarrica and the resort town of Pucón are also popularly. Remember that January is peak season, with more expensive prices and hotels often solidly booked. If you're traveling overland to Peru, try to visit the city of Valparaiso, the wine country of central Chile, and the village of San Pedro de Atacama. _______________________ Castle Valley, Utah: My wife and I are retired with a flexible schedule but not flexible finances. We want to visit Chile for a month or so and find a central location from which we can see different parts of the country. Where should we locate? Which parts of the country should we visit? What time of year should we visit? Wayne Bernhardson: Given Chile's unique geography, with a 2500-mile coastline, any "central" location will be far from many sights. I prefer the shoulder seasons of November/December and March/April for sights like Patagonia's Torres del Paine, the wine country of central Chile, and the southern lakes. The Atacama desert is good at any time of year, though at high altitudes it gets cold in winter (July/August). _______________________ Jacksonville, Ark.: My husband (60) and I (57) will be finishing a week-long business trip to Santiago, Chile, on Sep. 22, 2007. We have a tour starting Sep. 29 that goes into northern Chile and then to Easter Island. Any suggestions on what to do in the week in between? I would love to see glaciers and penguins but I am fearful to get too far from Santiago lest we miss the start of the tour. Wayne Bernhardson: You can fly to Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city, in about three hours from Santiago, so logistics shouldn't be a problem. The glaciers you can see, by boat or overland, but it's only the start of the penguin season--you'll just see the earliest arrivals. _______________________ Bremerton, Wash.: What is there worth seeing on a visit to the area around Puerto Monttt, Chile? Wayne Bernhardson: The town of Puerto Varas has real charm and is, in my opinion, a better place to stay than Puerto Montt. You'll be close to the island of Chiloé and several national parks--try Alerce Andino, which has fine hiking trails. _______________________ Fairfax, Va.: I am considering a trip to Chile in December and I was wondering the best way to get from Santiago to the Patagonia area. Is it expensive to travel to Patagonia? If I wanted to camp while I was there, what would be my best options? Wayne Bernhardson: From Santiago, the fastest way is to fly, but it's also possible to take the Navimag ferry (www.navimag.cl) through the southwestern fjords from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. This is a three- to four-day trip with great scenery when the weather clears. It's easy to get overland to Puerto Montt from Santiago. Chilean Patagonia is a relatively expensive place to travel because the Chilean is so strong, while Argentina's weaker currency makes it a bit cheaper. There are campgrounds in all easily accessible national parks and also backcountry camping. _______________________ Miami, Fla.: I find southern Chile beautiful. Does anyone offer horseback excursions through the lake country? Any other tips on logistics to this remote region would be appreciated. Wayne Bernhardson: There are horseback excursions near Puerto Varas through Campo Aventura, whose operators speak very fluent English. _______________________ Madison, Wis.: Where are the best wine regions in Chile? Are tours available? What time of year is best to travel for vineyard purposes? Wayne Bernhardson: My favorites are the Casablanca valley between Santiago and Valparaiso (www.casablancavalley.cl) and the Colchagua valley near Santa Cruz (www.rutadelvino.cl). The best time is the fall harvest, from February through April, when the wineries are most active and the weather is ideal. _______________________ New York, N.Y.: It used to be that the best way to pay for things in a foreign country was to use a credit card. The amount spent was automatically converted to American dollars, and you simply paid the bill. Now, it seems that all credit cards are charging a fee (I believe it is a percentage of each transaction) to use the credit card. Are there any credit cards that will simply allow you to charge purchases and services in a foreign country without a service fee? If not, which card(s) have the lowest fees? --Dawn Wayne Bernhardson: This is more a general than Chile-specific question and banks vary greatly in their policies. I would, however, suggest avoid ATM cards of major US banks, which are now collecting unconscionable service charges. I use my credit union ATM. _______________________ Manhattan Beach, Calif.: Hi Wayne, I'm an avid fisherman, and would like your opinion on fishing opportunity locations (freshwater and salt water) in Chile. Thanks, Greg Wayne Bernhardson: The Aisén region, around the city of Coyhaique, is probably the best for fly-fishing. Saltwater sportfishing is less common. _______________________ Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Is it still possible to take a bus & ferry boat trip across the Chile lake region from Puerto Montt to Bariloche Ar (and vice versa) in one day? How can I find info on schedules for this trip? Wayne Bernhardson: See the Cruce de Lagos website (www.crucedelagos.cl) for details. However, the crossing takes a full-day in either direction. _______________________ Lake Elsinore, Calif.: Do we need a visa to visit Easter Island for a week? Wayne Bernhardson: American citizens do not need advance visas to visit Chile as tourists. Chile does, however, collect a US$100 "reciprocity fee" at Santiago's international airport--because the US government requires Chileans to pay an identical fee just to apply for a visa (with no guarantees of getting it). The Chilean fee is valid for the life of your passport. _______________________ St. Petersburg, Fla.: I'll be on an overland trip in December, travelling through the Lake District and the fiord region before getting to Moreno and Paine. What places or day trips would I regret not experiencing and which would I regret spending the time and money? Wayne Bernhardson: This is a pretty open-ended question. I would say to avoid the rather drab cities along the Panamerican Highway, such as Temuco and Osorno, in favor of picturesque towns like Villarrica and Puerto Varas, which are convenient to several national parks. _______________________ Issaquah, Wash.: We'll be in Santiago, Chile in Feb. 2008, at the end of a cruise that begins in Buenos Aires. It looks like a fascinating place, but I keep reading that it can be unbearably hot down there then. Do you think it's still worthwhile to spend a few days exploring the city, despite the heat? Can you recommend any good mid-priced hotels? Wayne Bernhardson: Santiago has a dry heat, similar to coastal California, and almost always cools off at night because it's 2000 feet above sea level. Try the Vilafranca B&B in the Providencia neighborhood (www.vilafranca.cl). Santiago is an ideal location for excursions to the mountains, vineyards and coastline (including the World Heritage city of Valparaiso). _______________________ Charlottesville, Va.: Since I lived in Concepcion in the mid '70s, I want to share with my husband the diverse landscapes and joie de vivre of the Chilenos on a 2-3 week trip in the near future. Please provide some helpful Chile websites (Spanish ok) for lodging & winery tours? When is an "affordable time" to visit w/ the reverse seasons? What is indep. travel like during Christmas season & June-August? How far in advance to book all aspects of a trip? I would like to use car & train to travel from Valparaiso to Lake District (Osorno -Llanquihue) w/ possible crossing of the Andes to Argentina. Can you recommend any excursions to see fjords and/or hike in a National Park/reserve in the South? Any tips regarding my queries are welcome. Ciao, as they say in Chile! Wayne Bernhardson: Please see the other entry above regarding wine routes. The shoulder seasons of November/December and March/April are more affordable and less crowded than the January and February, when Chileans take their vacations. June to August is best in the northerly Atacama desert, though skiers may find it ideal near Santiago in those months. I do not recommend train travel, as they are few and slow--buses are faster and the best of them resemble business class on an airplane. _______________________ Titusville, Fla.: Hi Wayne, My husband and I are taking a 12-day cruise March 6-17, 2008. We are both 60 yrs old and will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. The ship will disembark in Chile & we have 5 days in Chile before we fly back to USA. We are looking for accommodations and like to stay & eat with the locals. My husband speaks a little Spanish. We also would like to tour wine country, & other areas of interest, etc. We are not too adventurous, but like to walk. What type of an itinerary would you recommend? How do we find a reputable tour guide company? Recommendations on accommodations, etc. We would like to make the most of our time in Chile. Also, we have cruised/toured parts of Europe and feel comfortable being on our own as long as we are safe. Thank you. Judy & Jack Wayne Bernhardson: I've answered some of your questions at least partially in other entries above. With regard to security, Chile has Latin America's best (and most honest) police force; they can't be everywhere, though, so be aware of your surroundings. That said, I think it's probably also the safest country in Latin America in terms of personal security. I lack the time to enter names of specific tour operators, but they do appear in my book. _______________________ Brooklyn, N.Y.: How are the Native Chileans treated in terms of their civil & political rights? Wayne Bernhardson: I presume you're referring to indigenous peoples such as the Mapuche of the south and the Aymara of the north. There is much progressive legislation on the books but it would still be accurate to say that, on the whole, they are socially and economically disadvantaged. Many indigenous people now lives in cities such as Santiago, as well as regional capitals; of Chile's 15 million or so inhabitants, about a million are Mapuche while the numbers of Aymara and others (such as the Rapa Nui of Easter Island) are much fewer. _______________________ San Antonio, TX: Would like to travel by train from Santiago to Ushuaia. Any suggestions? Stops? Scenery? Santiago's air departures always seem to be very, very full (returning cruise passengers, I assume). Any suggestions timewise? (My husband is a retired AA Captain so airplane load factors are of prime importance to us!!) Thanks for any advice you may offer. Wayne Bernhardson: Chile's only long-distance passenger service runs from Santiago to Puerto Montt via Temuco, but I do not recommend it except for the most dedicated trainspotters--it's far slower, far less frequent, and less comfortable than buses, the best of which resemble business class on airplanes. Santiago's international airport is probably the best on the continent, and the flagship airline LAN is almost unquestionably the region's best. Flying to Ushuaia, however, is complex--there are several flights daily from Santiago to Punta Arenas, but only about three per week from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia (Argentina). It would be possible to reach Ushuaia via Buenos Aires, but Argentine air services have suffered frequent interruptions since lightning knocked BA's radar in March. It is supposed to be repaired soon, but meanwhile takeoffs and landings are manual, with many delays and backups. _______________________ Wayne Bernhardson: Well, time's almost up. I do list my email address in my book, so if you have any further questions feel free to contact me.

We recently told you about how some of the world's best vanilla is harvested in Veracruz, Mexico. Here are three recipes for putting Mexican vanilla to use. Excerpted and adapted from Susana Trilling's Seasons of My Heart, A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico. Layered Mango Pudding, or "Charlotte" (Ante de Mango) There are many variations of antes, using different dry breads or cakes layered with seasonal fruits and pastry cream. This version was shared by my friend Luz Elena, the mother of my son Kaelin's classmate Pedro, during mango season. Although it seemed too easy to be true, it's delicious. You can use any fruit you have on hand and any type of dry, airy bread or cake. You should make this dessert at least a day or two in advance for all the flavors and textures to combine. It's great after a big dinner, because it's so light and fruity. INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup raisins 2/3 cup sweet sherry 7 cups pan de yema, or challah, or other egg bread, fresh or a few days old; or dry anise sponge cookies, biscotti, or ladyfingers 3 large ripe mangoes, peeled and pitted, cubed (5½ to 7 cups) 1 cup evaporated milk 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 1/2 teaspoons pure Mexican vanilla extract 1 cup whipping cream, whipped until stiff METHOD In a small saucepan, plump the raisins in the sherry for 15 minutes over low heat, covered. If you are using fresh bread, dry the bread in the oven for 10 minutes. (If using dry bread, anise sponge cookies, biscotti, or ladyfingers, omit this step.) Place half of the mango and all the evaporated milk in a blender. Puree until smooth. Empty this mixture into a bowl and repeat with the remaining mango, condensed milk, and vanilla. Add to the first mixture and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream one third at a time. Strain the raisins and reserve the sherry and raisins. In a clear serving bowl with straight sides, make a layer of half the bread cubes. Sprinkle half of the reserved sherry over the bread, followed by half of the raisins. Add half of the mango mixture. Add another layer of bread, sherry, and use the raisins, saving about 5 raisins for the top. Add the remaining mango mixture and the raisins to decorate the top. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Note: You can make this in the morning and serve at night, but it really is better if you leave it a day or two. Serve in wineglasses with a dollop of whipped cream, if you wish. Oaxacan Chocolate Pudding (Budin de Chocolate Oaxaqueño) INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup raisins 1/3 cup mescal, or coffee-flavored cream de mescal 2 bolillos (3 1/2 cups) or dense French bread, crusts trimmed off, bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 pound Oaxacan chocolate, broken into pieces 1/2 cup strong coffee 3 large eggs 1 cup Mexican crema or créme fraîche 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure Mexican vanilla 1/4 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon For la salsa de tuna: 1 3/4 cup red fruit of the Nopal cactus puree (other fruit such as mango, raspberry or strawberry can be substituted) 8 ounces mandarin orange juice 2 tablespoon sugar 1 to 2 tablespoons Cointreau For the topping and assembly: 1 cup whipping cream or créme fraîche 1/2 teaspoon Mexican vanilla 1 to 2 ounce bar of Mexican chocolate METHOD For the budin: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the raisins in a small mixing bowl and add the mescal. Leave the raisins to soak for 1 hour, or simmer them covered on a low heat for 10 minutes, until plump. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven until lightly toasted (15 minutes). Set aside. Turn off the oven. Put the chocolate and coffee in a double boiler over medium heat until the chocolate is melted. Put the eggs, cream, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium-size bowl and stir with a whisk until blended. Stirring the egg mixture continuously, pour in the melted chocolate and continue stirring until thoroughly blended. Add the raisins, mescal, and toasted bread cubes to the bowl and stir well. Set aside at room temperature until the bread completely soaks up the mixture, about 2 hours. (This can be made a day ahead). Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Divide the pudding mixture into twelve 5-ounce buttered ramekins. Put them in a baking pan large enough to hold them all without touching. Slide out the oven shelf, put the pan on the shelf, and pour in the boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the puddings are fully set but still moist, about 50-60 minutes. Place the ramekins on a cool rack. After cooling 15 minutes, remove budin from the ramekins. For the tuna salsa: In a sauce pan, over medium heat, reduce the mandarin orange juice and sugar to 3 ounces of liquid. Set aside to cool. When cool, add the puree and the Cointreau. For the topping and assembly: Whip the cream and vanilla. Spoon the salsa de tuna on a plate, place the budin in the middle of the salsa, and add the whipping cream on top. Dust with finely grated Mexican chocolate. Garnish the plate with flowers. Serve immediately. Makes 12 five-ounce ramekins. Note: The salsa de tuna will last two days in the refrigerator. Shrimp Sautéed with Garlic and Chile Guajillo (Camarones al Ajillo) Playa Panteón, in Puerto Angel, is named for the beautiful graveyard perched up on the hill overlooking the sea. It is here that our friend Panchito, who started Piña Palmera, is buried. Always a lucky person, he is in a resting place lulled by the sounds of the waves at the beach. On the beach, there are a few places to eat with the fishermen's families who over the years have grown to be professional restaurateurs. This recipe was inspired by Señora Torres of Restaurant Susi, where you can eat great seafood while you wiggle your toes in the sand. Serve this with Arroz blanco con plátanos fritos. INGREDIENTS For the chiles guajillos: 3-4 chiles guajillos, stemmed, seeded, and deveined 1/2 cup sunflower or vegetable oil For the shrimp stock: 1/4 medium white onion 3 garlic cloves Juice of 1 lime or lemon A few black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 1 chile de árbol Pinch of salt For the shrimp: 2 tablespoons chile guajillo oil or olive oil 11/2 pounds head-on shrimp, shelled, deveined, and deheaded, or 1 pound headless shrimp 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons lime juice Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon vanilla olive oil METHOD For the chiles guajillos: Wash the chiles well and cut them crosswise in very thin strips to make rings. Place them in a glass jar with the oil. You can do this the day before, if you like. For the shrimp stock: In a heavy 4-quart stockpot, put the shrimp heads and shells in 2 quarts of water with the onion, garlic, lime juice, peppercorns, bay leaves, chile de árbol and salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Strain the stock and reserve. If the stock is very watery, reduce some more and reserve. For the shrimp: You can cook these in 2 batches, reserving the cooked shrimp in a bowl, until the other batch is done, and then return them for one minute in the sauce to reheat and serve. Heat a medium frying pan with the chile guajillo oil. Add 1/2 of the shrimp, 1/2 of the garlic, and 1/2 of the parsley, and sauté 1 to 2 minutes. When one side of the shrimp is pink, turn them over, and add half of the chile strips. Reserve the oil in the jar to soak more guajillos. Continue to cook over medium heat until cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. When the shrimp are cooked, remove them and set aside. Repeat with the other half of the shrimp and remove. Add 8 ounces of strained shrimp stock. Reduce sauce to half, uncovered, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Add the softened butter bit by bit, shaking the pan to "mound" the sauce. Taste and add salt or lime juice for flavor. Return the shrimp to the sauté pan, over low heat, to reheat and coat them with the sauce. Swirl in the vanilla olive oil. Serve as a main course around hot mounded cooked rice on a plate or serve with hot tostadas or bollilos as an appetizer. Makes 4 servings. Note: You can make vanilla flavored olive oil by heating three beans in virgin olive oil slightly, until it gives off its scent. Let it sit for a week or two and use in dressings, or fish or shrimp dishes. Recipes above excerpted from Seasons of My Heart, A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico. (Ballantine Books, November 1999) Reprinted with permission of the author. To learn how to buy the book, write to Jacqui Sattler in Pennsylvania. Her e-mail address is seasonsofmyheart_cookingschool@yahoo.com.

Happy family cruises are all alike because they allow parents and kids to each be happy in his or her own way. A parent of a toddler, for instance, might be happiest with a cruise that provides trustworthy child-care services at flexible hours. Children, of course, have their own priorities. A teen, say, will probably want lots of activities for socializing after 10 P.M. We scoured the top cruise lines to find the best ones for children, grouping them by age group: infants and toddlers, kids ages 3 to 7, ages 8 to 11, and ages 12 to 17. See our picks below. One thing: We haven't sailed every cruise available out of U.S. ports—though we're working on it. For activities we didn't have personal experience with, we relied on the knowledge of parents and teens with whom we've talked about cruising, such as those who participated in our recent online chat about family cruising. Despite our connections, we may have overlooked some great activities. Let us know what we've missed by e-mailing us at Letters@BudgetTravelOnline.com. Infants and Toddlers Disney Cruise LineThe fully equipped nurseries are a dead giveaway: Disney's ships outperform every other major cruise line in offering services for children who are at least 12 weeks old and less than 3 years old. It's the little details that count. Each Disney stateroom has a bathroom with a bathtub, for instance. And, as every parent knows, a bathtub is easier to use than a shower when caring for infants and toddlers. Yet most other cruise ships only offer showers in their rooms, unless you purchase one of their costly suites. Topping it all off, Disney's Magic and Wonder each have pools with separate filtration systems that allow diapered tots to swim. Disney stands out in this regard from most rival cruise lines, which generally prohibit diapers in all of their pools. (The fine print: Disney's nurseries charge a fee of $6 per hour per child. A tip: Reserve the hours when you'd like to leave your little one in the nursery as soon as you embark.) Carnival Cruise LinesThis is one of the few lines whose youth counselors change diapers when necessary. Carnival also stands out because its youth programs accept kids starting at age 2. In contrast, most programs elsewhere require that children be age 3 and fully potty trained. An added plus is that after 10 P.M. Carnival's ships offers group babysitting for children under age 2. You can even rent strollers. Group babysitting for those under age 2 costs $6 per hour for the first child and $4 for each additional child. These prices also apply for group babysitting of toddlers who are more than 2 years old. (See the Carnival section, under Children Ages 3 to 7 below.) Stroller rentals: All Carnival ships rent strollers (both single and double ones) on board. The fee is $6 per day on the three- and four-day itineraries and $25 per cruise for lengthier trips. Holland America LineNo matter that its youth programming doesn't admit children under age 3. Holland America still scores points for encouraging toddlers and parents to play together in groups at scheduled times. What's more, Holland America joins Disney in being one of the few cruise lines to offer private babysitting for an hourly fee. (Private babysitting costs $8 per hour for the first child in a family and $5 per hour per sibling.) Here's another nice gesture: If you're traveling with an infant or toddler, tell your agent upon booking and he or she will send you a detailed request form so you can order baby food, diapers, and wipes. For a fee, this unique service delivers the food and other items to your cabin—along with a mini fridge—so that you don't have to haul baby supplies to the ship. (The fine print: Parents must fill out an infant services order form 30 days prior to a North American sailing or 60 days prior to other sailings. Baby supply service fees: diapers, $1 each; a pack of 80 wipes, $5; jars of baby food, $1 each; and refrigerator rental, $2 per day.) Children Ages 3 to 7 DisneyIf your kids enjoy Disney characters and movies, they'll love this cruise line. In a much more intimate setting than the Disney theme parks provide, you and your children can enjoy free meals with costumed characters, including tea with Wendy (from Peter Pan). You can also see elaborate stage shows, such as Disney Dreams, that showcase popular Disney characters, like Captain Hook and Snow White. CarnivalA family welcome aboard party and a kids' talent show are but two examples of the long list of familiy activities this cruise line offers. Upstaging other cruise lines, Carnival offers the most hours of youth programs. And after its free youth program ends at 10 P.M. daily, group babysitting is available for an hourly fee until 3 A.M. nightly. Younger kids also enjoy the enthusiastic youth counselors who, on some ships, even let children paint their faces. Royal Caribbean InternationalHere you'll find a youth program, called Adventure Ocean, that excels at offering age-appropriate, hands-on activities, such as art projects, science experiments, and drama classes (developed in partnership with Camp Broadway). On two specific ships—Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas—outdoor water parks attract youngsters. Children Ages 8 to 11 Royal CaribbeanThis fleet of ships offers rock walls (as opposed to boulders). The kids are harnessed in, and trained staff members hold the ropes for kids when they need to climb down. Non-climbing options include miniature-golf courses and ice-skating rinks on Royal Caribbean's biggest ships. (The fine print: Kids must be at least 6 years old to climb walls, and parents must sign a waiver. Children can't climb the same route on the wall at the same time as their parents. If they want to climb with their parents, they need to climb next to the route that their parents are climbing.) Princess CruisesOlder grade school children enjoy Princess' hands-on science program, run with the help of the California Science Center. Some fun projects include dissecting squid and constructing replica roller coasters (as part of a lesson on centrifugal force). The youth program also offers plenty of group games and crafts that aren't tied to science. DisneyThe cruise ship Magic recently added a room called Ocean Quest, boasting a ship's bridge simulator, which kids can use to pretend they are navigating a ship. The room is also packed with plenty of video games for multiple players. On the Magic and Wonder, kids ages 8 and 9 can visit the Oceaneer Lab, which offers lots of hands-on activities, such as science experiments and mock forensics. Teenagers Ages 12 to 17 Royal CaribbeanThe staff on this fleet wisely splits teens into two groups: ages 12 to 14 and 15 to 17. Each ship has a dedicated teen room. And six ships (Freedom, Liberty, Mariner, Navigator, Sovereign, and Majesty of the Seas) have as many as three teens-only areas: Fuel nightclub, Back Deck for outdoor sunning, and Living Room for hanging out. Activities include high-energy teen programming, such as scavenger hunts and a mock assassin game, plus outdoor facilities (especially on the cruise line's largest ships) for surfing and playing basketball. A new popular activity is on-board surfing. The Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas each have a FlowRider. Kids or adults can ride a continuous wave, created by a six-inch sheet of water that rushes up an incline to keep surfers in position. The FlowRider is the exact opposite of ocean surfing, where you move with the wave. It's like wakeboarding, without the boots and the lines. CarnivalOver the past few years, this cruise line has revamped its programs for kids ages 15 to 17. As a rule, each of its ships has a dedicated room for teens called Club 02. The 1,000–1,800-square-foot room boasts high-tech sound and lighting equipment. The room also features video games and movies on large-screen plasma TVs. Carnival is the only cruise line that lets kids ages 12 to 17 participate in shore excursions as separate teen groups, which go ashore under the leadership of a teen counselor. The cost of the teen shore excursions in the Caribbean, for example, range from $40 to $80, depending on the tour and the port. Holland AmericaAll of this cruise line's ships (except for the small Prinsendam) feature The Loft, a dedicated teen area that resembles an artists' loft and features the Dance Dance Revolution video game and karaoke machines. On all ships except Maasdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam, and Prinsendam, there's a special passageway that connects The Loft to The Oasis, an outdoor hangout space for teens, which features a waterfall, a wading pool, a juice bar, and lounge chairs.