Fun, family, friendship, being able to be yourself. These are just a few of the thoughts that come to mind when most people think of RFamily Vacations. In my case, I also think about love, relationships, and celebration. Since 2004, I have had the privilege of serving as RFamily’s resident wedding officiant and family celebrant for nearly 100 couples and families. Couples have married, had commitment ceremonies and renewed vows. Families committed to each other, blended families vowed to live in harmony and love each other through thick and thin, and babies and children were welcomed into homes and families through baby/child blessings. Some of the couples were celebrating a mere few years of relationship, but some like Doug and Woody, were celebrating 44 years of love….one of the longest engagements known to mankind! Some couples had legal weddings in Canada and heartfelt sentimental commitment ceremonies with me.

Some ceremonies have been very quiet and intimate involving the couple and me in the privacy of their ship cabin. Some have been loud and celebratory like New Yorkers John and Larson who brought most of their extended family on an RFamily Cruise for their Jewish wedding; they even brought their family Chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) that had been used in multiple family weddings before theirs. Many publicly committed themselves to each other on the beach of the private island near the Bahamas owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. Some couples celebrated their relationships with a wedding or commitment ceremony followed by a family ritual where their blended families committed their love and support to each other as well. I have also blessed babies and children who have found their ways into a family like baby Elijah. Elijah’s mothers were raised in the Catholic Church and attended Mass with him, but when his moms asked to have him baptized, they were told they couldn’t unless only one mom stood with him for baptism and only one mom had her name placed on the baptismal certificate. They declined and brought Elijah on a cruise where I had the privilege of doing a nonreligious spiritual blessing for him, one that celebrated his place in the family and his two loving mothers. Last summer, I had the honor of performing a child and family blessing for Zion, the son of Alec Mapa and Jamie Hebert. Zion, age five at the time, had just recently found his way into Alec and Jamie’s family and this was a time of exuberant celebration.

No matter what the occasion, each family ritual involved love and having that love validated, recognized and celebrated in the manner it should have been. Helping couples and families celebrate their love, commitment and dedication to each other is my passion. Being surrounded by our families of choice on an RFamily Vacation is a great way to celebrate. If you are interested in some sort of a wedding/commitment ceremony or other family celebration for this summer’s Club Med vacation, July 9-16, please contact me at sallythejp@gmail.com. It would be my honor and privilege to work with you to plan a befitting ceremony/celebration.

Dan (my hubby) and I recently visited the newly renovated Club Med Sandpiper Bay resort in Port St Lucie, FL. As you know, we have chartered the entire resort next summer July 9-16, 2011. It’s going to be AMAZING!!

When we arrived, many familiar Club Med staff greeted us and Ramon even surprised us by joining us there for the day. If you were with us this past summer, you all know Ramon from the Club Med corporate office. He’ll be back with us this summer.

When Kelli and I look at a new property or ship, we really try to look at the programming we want to offer our guests and how this programming will fit and how the resort/ship will serve the needs of our cherished guests. Club Med Sandpiper Bay is really perfect for R Family. It offers a variety of accommodations, delicious food, brand new theater, disco, piano bar, brand new pools, INCREDIBLE kids programming, brand new spa and gym, and more sports and activities than you can imagine.

Club Med offers world-class tennis and golf instruction, circus school (including flying trapeze), soccer, Zumba, multiple pools, brand new gym, and so much more.

Club Med Sandpiper Bay is also easy to reach with plenty of affordable flights into Palm Beach, Orlando, or Ft Lauderdale airport. It’s also less than 2 hours from all of FL’s theme parks and you can take a day excursion during our week or add on a few days before or after our July week together.

We are also introducing our very first theater camp so all of you Broadway lovers get ready to sing, dance and perform with our experienced team.

This trip is perfect for R Family and there is something for everyone. Young, old, gay, straight… everyone is welcome. We have many guests with kids and many without kids. You will find that this is really the most inclusive vacation and get ready to make life long friends.

Please join us this summer for an exciting week filled with friendship, laughter, and love. We are thrilled to be back again at another Club Med and invite you to make your summer plan with R Family Vacations.

We’ve been back a few weeks from the Europe Group Cruise. We really enjoyed the group setting, much to our happiness. It was not the same as the charter, of course, but the group dinners and rFamily entertainment in the Spinnaker Lounge were a great way to enjoy a fantastic destination immersed in a smaller version of the “rFamily” experience. It was fun having the Spinnaker to ourselves for the great entertainment from Julie Goldman, Seth Rudetsky, Anika Larsen, and James Wesley, and of course Kelli and Gregg It was fun to be able to actually say thank you to all of them for their performances, ask about the songs and jokes, joke about the jokes written about Kelli and Gregg - you get the idea. It was excellent to have the dinners to see everyone and to share the day’s experiences among “rFamily”. These dinners really felt like gathering for a family dinner (with people you enjoy) at the end of the day.

The ports were fantastic, of course, in a “get a flavor of” kind of way. We did everything we set out to do in each port, including Rome, where there was a 3 hour delay to get off the ship for reasons unknown to us - lol!

Just like every NCL cruise, the crew was fantastic. We even re-met some whom we’d talked with from previous rFamily cruises. The crew members all remarked how much they had enjoyed rFamily guests on the charters in previous years. How amazing is that?

I will do the small group cruise again. It is not the same all-encompassing feeling of freedom as the rFamily chartered ship experience, but that was to be expected. The group dinners and entertainment do have the same rFamily chartered ship experience, just on a more intimate, familiar level. I’ve been on a few non-rFamily cruises where we have been the only “family” onboard. This “small group” trip was different because, even though the ship was not an rFamily chartered ship, when we boarded, I already knew we were not alone which was an interesting feeling of relief and happiness. We enjoyed the company of some of the other vacationing passengers on the ship, as well, without feeling uncomfortable.

In summary, we had a BLAST! Thanks to the rFamily team for a different yet great vacation experience. It made the already amazing ports of call even better with having “family” on board at the end of the day!

R Family Vacations has been a huge part of my life since 2005. I was
19 years old and had no clue how much RFV would impact my friends,
family, and my life. Throughout the years I have met amazing people,
worked with fierce talent, and together we have all shared incredible
memories. After traveling on 7 full charter cruises with RFV, and
them changing my life, I was anxious to see what Club Med had in store
for our first resort adventure…

WELL… It was AMAHZING!
Everyone was so relaxed the entire time and just wanted to soak
everything in. At night, we were able to experience the entertainment
together… and there really is nothing quite like sitting outside,
hearing some belting, and experiencing the gorgeous Pacific Ocean and
Ixtapa scenery as a backdrop. The intimacy of this trip and not ever
feeling rushed made for a more inclusive time with each other. By the
end of the week I really felt like I knew all of passengers and staff.
It really left a lasting impression.

I am counting down the days until Club Med this summer. I cannot wait
to see my old friends, the new Club Med friends, and most of all;
make some new ones, too!

SEE YOU THERE in 2011!!!!
Colin Sheehan

Like most of your guests we adopted our kids. We were fortunate to have them through the state of California. They are now seventeen and sixteen the oldest will graduate this next school year and they have been with us since they were six and seven. Our first Rfamily vacation was a few years ago and was the Mexican Rivera cruise out of San Diego and we have been fortunate to go every year since then. We drove from Texas to San Diego (which is where we used to live). We had not told our kids this would be a gay cruise until we were in the car. Our kids said “cool”. As I drove along my mind wondered, how will our kids fit in? Will this be fun? and will we be accepted? See, we are the straight couple you see around the vacations. Well, it was the most amazing vacation, the kids fit in, we had a blast and we were accepted. Every year the vacation seems to be better than the year before. Each year we go home and think you couldn’t have a better vacation than that, and yet every year it tops the last. The entertainment is always outstanding but the best part is a feeling of family. Most vacations you find yourself alone with your family surrounded by a bunch of people who probably won’t talk to you and you won’t talk to them. When you go on a Rfamily vacation you will make friends for life and you will find your self a part of the best place with the best people in the world. I wish that everyone could have the chance to go and experence a vacation that is truly beyond words. After our vacation this year our kids told us they always want to go with Rfamily. We hope to see you there!

In 2004 my partner and I had twin sons. We heard about R Family vacations thru an employee of ours who had seen the Documentary about the group. We knew immediately that we wanted our family to experience this vacation and in 2008 when our twins were 4, we booked what we thought would be a one time vacation event. Instead, our family had the experience of a lifetime and has since taken a trip every year with R Family. This year we took not 1 but 2 summer vacations with R Family and both were incredible.

There are so many wonderful aspects of the vacation that I cannot imagine taking my summer vacation without this group. They offer something for everyone, including Grandma who has been on every trip with us. The kids have a blast playing with all the other kids and moms & dads have a great time relaxing and meeting wonderful families from across the country. They always feature great entertainment and have all kinds of parties and activities for the whole family as well as for singles. There is something for everyone at every age, whether you have infants, young kids, teenagers or NO KIDS at all.

In addition to all the activities, there is a magic that happens on all of these vacations that words cannot express. It’s the look on your child’s face when he see’s another family with 2 moms or 2 dads, it’s the stories from other parents of what they had to endure to have their children, it is the friendships and love, and it’s the rainbow of colors.

I have been fortunate in my life to have been on many vacations, but none that have impacted and touched me the way R Family has. Years earlier, when the boys were 3 we took a traditional cruise without the R Family Group and we have no real memories to reflect back on. There were no relationships, no like minded people, and no special friendships or experiences. It was just an average vacation. R Family is not only an exceptional experience, but a lifelong memory that will fill my heart and my children’s hearts forever.

I only have 12 summers left with my boys, before they go off to college and I plan on taking them on as many memorable R Family vacations as possible. Give yourself and your family the gift of a lifetime. Take an R Family Vacation.

We are so grateful to Gregg and Kelli for giving families like ours this great vacation experience. Hope to see you in 2011!

The Lafreeda Family

You want your own cabin on a cruise?
Norwegian EPIC is for you!

Because of my many years as a tour operator and current co-owner of R Family Vacations, I have been on more cruises than I can count. I’ve traveled many times on all of the major cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Carnival. I’ve stayed in inside staterooms, outside cabins, balconies and suites. I’ve traveled with my partner, friends and sometimes solo. When I’m with friends or on my own, the last thing I want to do is share a cabin. What can I say? I like my own space!

As anyone who has cruise knows, prices are based on double occupancy. This means the first two people in that cabin pay that rate and if you want your own room, you pay double that rate! If you want your own room on a cruise even the least expensive inside stateroom will cost you more than $2K.

Norwegian Cruise Line has finally created the perfect solution: the “Epic Studio”. These 128 studio rooms are the perfect design (and price) for the solo traveler. They are even perfect for two friends traveling together because you can get two studios that connect. NCL is the first cruise line to price a stateroom with a single rate. No more doubling the price.

But wait, there’s more! These cozy studios are chic and comfortable. Yes, they are small, but they are more like a NY hotel room than cruise ship cabin. They come equipped with everything you need: a comfy queen sized bed, big screen TV, plenty of storage space for your clothes (including big bins that fit under your bed) and even a choice of four mood lighting options. They have huge porthole windows that allow you to peek into your own private studio hallway.

NCL has even created a lounge just for Studio guests. You can grab continental breakfast, a warm cup of coffee, veggies and dip, or a quick sandwich. The EPIC is Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship and can hold about 4500 guests. I love these big new ships but sometimes they can be overwhelming. The private studio lounge and these cozy cabins provide the perfect escape when you need it.

We recently traveled with 150 R Family guests on the EPIC. My entire team and many of our solo travelers were booked in the studios. We had 10 right in a row. We loved our “little neighborhood” and after a day at the beach we couldn’t wait for a nap in our individual pods.

Now if you want something larger or more luxurious, NCL offers the most incredible suite options at sea including an entire “ship within a ship” complete with it’s own spa, pool, restaurant, and lounge. The EPIC also boasts some amazing entertainment including Blue Man Group, Cirque Dreams, Howl at the Moon, Second City and Legends in Concert.

R Family will be sailing once again on the EPIC March 5, 2011. Join us in your own Studio or one of the EPIC’s many innovative stateroom options. Visit rfamilyvacations.com or email info@rfamilyvacations.com for more details.

-Gregg

Our trip with rfamily vacations was unbelievable.  New friendships began on the flight from Los Angeles where we met other families on their way to Club Med Ixtapa. We were ten people ranging in age from 17 months old to 65 and
there was something for everyone on this amazing vacation. But it wasn’t just the excellent food, facilities, and entertainment that made this an unbeatable
week. 

We were truly moved by the friendly acceptance of everyone at Club Med. The energy was outstanding, no matter if you were the straight 65 year old grandpa, the teen with down syndrome, or the lesbian couple with a teen
daughter.  This was truly an experience in acceptance, warmth, and friendship.
 We swam, we danced, we ate (oh yes, we definitely ate), and we laughed, and laughed, and laughed.  For one week, life was very, very good, and we are truly grateful for the experience with rfamily vacations.  Unfortunately, our
Christine is still single, but we hold the intention for a lovely woman to come along for her
and our beautiful grandson, Parker!  Meanwhile, there are “rfamily” vacations where our atypical family grouping looks pretty darn normal.  We will be back.  Thank you for everything.
 
Sandra Jones

As most parents know, the week before school starts is always a crazy one. Clothes, school supplies, paperwork and the idea of adapting your life back into some form of a schedule overtakes your every thought. This year has been one filled with much change for my family, but the consistency of love has brought us all through to the other side. And for that I am grateful.

This past year of R Family trips has truly been spectacular. I was hesitant about our new business venture of doing groups on board our cruises to Hawaii, Europe and the Caribbean; however, my uncertainty was very quickly proven to be wrong. From the beaches of Hawaii to the beauty of Rome to the magnificent new NCL Epic ship, our groups shared experiences that were unique, uplifting and a ton of fun. The R Family experience translated perfectly to our groups allowing us to see new parts of the world together and getting to know each other in a more intimate environment. I feel like I made some real true friends on each of those trips. Friends that will stay with me for the years to come. On the group trips, we were also blessed with spectacular entertainment for our guests. Our guests got to know the entertainers in a way that never would have happened in a larger experience. We ate together, explored together and had many, many laughs.

The other new experience for me this past summer was our very first land vacation at Club Med in Ixtapa Mexico. I had never even been to a Club Med, but Gregg assured me that it would be amazing. We took over the whole resort with over 500 R Family guests and created an experience that not only changed my mind about what a land vacation could be, but I believe the minds of many of our guests. The food, the staff, the entertainment and the experience of a more laid back environment allowed all of us to truly feel the R Family experience in the same way that we have felt in in the full ship experiences in the past. I feel so excited to continue this part of our business and confident that the product that we delivered in Mexico can continue next year to Club Med in Florida. Our days were filled with pool games, swimming in the ocean, archery, trapeze school, delicious guacamole and our evenings were full of the amazing talent that continues to create the R Family experience for all of you.

We will be creating new blogs for this area on our website each week and hope you come back to see who is writing next. Or if you want to write your own blog about anything that is moving you at the time, please submit to us and we will post it!! I am encouraging our talent, the team and any passengers to share their experiences so that during the months that we do not see each other, we can all feel the embrace of the love that we all feel when we are traveling together.

We had so many amazing ideas!! It was really difficult to narrow it down to one but we selected one idea that we loved and it captured many other ideas in one theme:

WINNER: JACQUI SUNDQUIST

“AUTHENTIC ALASKA”
Dress as your favorite Alaskan, mammal, landmark, everything Alaska /anything goes

Sarah Palin & Family
Fur Trader
Alaskan King Club
Gold Miner
Wildlife

RUNNER UP:
(we added a runner up as we will have this party too!)
winner gets R Family Alaska Tees for their family/cabin

“DRESS AS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL CHARACTER”
Ivy Stein

We will announce the other theme night as well as evening dress next week!!