"Committed, hardcore volunteer vacations (now sometimes called "voluntourism") have been a growing travel trend for a few decades now. As a result, there are countless opportunities for folks who have the resources and time to take advantage of them -- but the ability to carve out the time required still mostly remains in the domain of folks with unique circumstances: high school and college students, exchange students, young people doing gap years, teachers, retirees, folks with seasonal jobs, and the like.

That said, the urge to help out has little to do with having summers off, and new volunteer opportunities are becoming available to folks who are cramming in the standard weeklong vacation from work or school but are nonetheless hoping to dedicate some portion of their limited vacation to doing good. There are only so many times you can drink a pina colada on a beach in Mexico before you feel like maybe you should be doing something more for the local residents than tipping the server.

The new, shorter volunteer programs cater to all kinds of travelers -- like cruisers who would rather do some work on a shore excursion than buy trinkets, and luxury travelers who know that just outside the grounds are people who could really use some help. In many cases, the volunteers get just as much from their work as do the charities. For families, dedicating a small but meaningful chunk of an otherwise mostly fun (and often pampered or indulgent) vacation can impart valuable understanding to young people -- hopefully in a way that isn't merely dabbling, but is actually educational, and teaches kids that helping others is an important part of life on our planet.

• Half-Day Programs with the Ritz-Carlton
• Bring a Thing Program at Solmar Hotels & Resorts
• Heaps of Options in Hawaii
• Options on Cruise Line Shore Excursions
• and more...

For all of the good intended by many voluntourism programs, the facts on the ground do not always result in perfect outcomes.

If you are thoughtful and careful about the ways that you want to help, and do a little bit of research, a win-win solution is well within reach, even for those just cramming in a half-day or so of hard work into an otherwise relaxing vacation."

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The Caribbean has some of the best sands and the friendliest family resorts. At these six diverse properties, you and your children can encounter dolphins, ride horses in the surf, snorkel through schools of tropical fish, learn sailing and simply sit and chat.

Atlantis Paradise Island:

Atlantis' show-stoppers are the marine life and habitats and the 141-acre waterpark. Hammerhead, blacknose and reef tip sharks zig zag above you as you walk through an acrylic tunnel in Predator Lagoon. Kids won't get bored at the water park - home to 11 pools and 20 swimming areas. Leap of Faith is a 60-foot nearly vertical drop, and the Serpent Slide is a twisting ride of dark moments and descent through a clear tunnel cut into the shark lagoon. At the Atlantis Kids Adventures Club, ages 3-12 engage in a variety of activities that include cooking classes, creating virtual postcards and directing and acting in their own movies.

Club Med Punta Cana:

As Club Med's flagship in the Caribbean, Punta Cana draws praise for its wide and long stretch of sandy beach, reasonable good food, comprehensive children's program and its family suites. At the Music Academy kids dance using Wii video games and play Dominican-inspired instruments. The Art Studio is the place for crafts and paintings and the Game Factory adds a digital and creative play space. Younger kids romp through the splash park's fountains and slides. Ages 4 and older try the trapeze, play tennis, learn Zumba moves. With Club Med Passworld for teens, this hard-to-please group has its own hang-out. They can try island dancing, learn video editing and find out how to be a scratch DJ. Teens also keep busy sailing, windsurfing and playing tennis.

Half Moon Jamaica:

You and your tweens & teens can play a round of golf on the 18-hole golf course, horseback ride along the beach, enjoy pony rides and get to know the resident dolphins at a beach encounter. At the grassy and gated Anancy Children's Village, 3- to 6-year-olds go on crab hunts, have their faces painted, do gardening and get kissed by the dolphins. Seven- to 12-year-olds snorkel, make s'mores and learn reggae dancing. At the Hype Zone, teens sing karaoke and dance at the disco. Activities outside include mini-golf, water polo and tennis.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya:

At the supervised children's program, ages 4 to 12 make piñatas, fly kites, fashion jewelry and pair up for Wii tennis and bowling. Outdoors, teens play beach volleyball, swim and sunbathe. The new teen hangout features air hockey, foosball, billiards, Xbox and other games.

Coconut Bay Resort St. Lucia:

In Cocoland, youngsters cool off by dancing through spouting fountains and getting drenched by a bucket dump. For dry play, there's a kid-sized zipline. Nannies watch infants to tots (up to 23 months old) in an air-conditioned nursery. Two- and 3-year-olds paint coconuts, bake cookies and watch puppet shows. Four- to 7-year-olds and 8- to 12-year-olds, careen down the water slides, go on nature hikes and play tennis. Teens have targeted activities during holidays and summer. Kids can swim up to their own pool bar to order fruit smoothies and other kid-friendly, non-alcoholic drinks.

Beaches Turks & Caicos:

If you can get your kids off the sand and out of the waterpark, they'll have plenty of things to do at the supervised children's program. Preschoolers and grade-schoolers delight in digging for seashells with Zoe, turning trash into treasures with Oscar the Grouch, learning about feathered friends with Big Bird and baking cookies with Cookie Monster. Teens learn to spin discs at the Scratch DJ Academy and meet and mingle at Liquid, the under-21 nightclub.

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To book your family vacation, please contact me anytime 

Grand Princess

Book on this sailing and get a US$ 25.00 per person onboard credit (max $50 per cabin) and 1 Princess Travel Mug per person (max 2 per cabin)!

Book before 21-Feb-2014 for added bonuses:

• Free 8x10" framed keepsake photo
• US$ 50.00 per person shore excursion credit (max $100 per cabin)
• Free bottle of wine (1 per cabin chosen by the onboard Sommelier)
• Reduced deposit - Only $100.00 per person

Fares from C$ 790.56*

*All pricing is per person, in Canadian dollars, based in double occupancy in the cabin category shown, and includes cruise, all onboard meals & entertainment (specialty venues excluded), some beverages and all current taxes and/or surcharges. Most beverages, gratuities, onboard shopping, shore excursions, casino and items of a personal nature are NOT included.   Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are subject to change and Princess reserves the right to collect any increases in effect at the time of sailing even if the fare has already been paid in full.  Airfare to Seattle is extra.

Download the Alaska Cruise Information Page & Pricing by clicking here 

Contact me to book today!