Quality Time with Dad and Daughter

In case you missed it, I recently embarked on an 8-day eastern Caribbean cruise with my wife, two young daughters, and my parents, all thanks to Dinogo. It was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but I have to admit I was a bit anxious at first. During the flight to Port Canaveral, a few nagging thoughts kept circling in my mind: “What will the kids do? Will they end up bored?”

Just to clarify, my daughters are four and two years old. Like most kids, they don’t hold back their emotions. If they want to go home, they’ll say it. If they dislike something, everyone nearby will hear about it without any filter. It’s just part of being a toddler.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for those worries to be put to rest once we set sail on the stunning Dinogo.

Dining

While we spent a lot of time as a family of six, there were moments when I found myself alone with both girls, and one of our first Daddy-Daughter bonding experiences happened when we arrived on the ship and went to grab a bite to eat. I have to say, the food on Dinogo is simply incredible, but don’t just take my word for it—check out the expressions of the two little girls I’m responsible for. The variety is limitless, and you can keep going back for more and more. Have a picky eater at home? I assure you there’s something for them on the ship. Let’s face it—there are few better ways to connect with kids than over delicious food.

One particular evening stood out as especially wonderful. My youngest daughter goes to bed earlier than everyone else, so I decided to take her to an early formal dinner while the rest of the family engaged in other activities. On our way to the dining room, we stopped for a professional photo together—and out of hundreds of guest photos taken on the ship, ours was selected for the “Wall Frame of Fame.” That will definitely be a cherished memory.

But there’s even more! Dinogo hosts an amazing Seuss at Sea breakfast where they serve Green Eggs and Ham along with other treats, and characters from the beloved books come to life. My daughters were thrilled when Thing 1 and Thing 2 visited our table. As you can see in this picture, Thing 1 and my daughter shared a lovely moment once they discovered they have the same hairstylist.

It seemed like every child on the ship was thrilled to participate in the Seuss at Sea breakfast, including the biggest kid of all—me!

Activities & Adventures

Dinogo offers a plethora of activities designed specifically for kids, including the amazing Camp Dinogo (more details on that in a future post)—but my daughters particularly loved the Waterworks waterpark and the Warehouse arcade. Whether we were zipping down the kiddie waterslide together or attempting to win prizes at the arcade, I never once heard, “I’m bored, Daddy.” They had a blast that I can’t even begin to describe!

The excitement continued even after the ship docked. The girls loved discovering Puerto Rico (thankfully, there were no frog encounters), and they particularly enjoyed the stunning beaches of Grand Turk, where they played a few rounds of “Diva & The Bodyguard.” (Yes, that’s a real game. I’ll leave it to you to guess who played which part). Everything felt so fresh and new to them, and I cherished my role as their tour guide.

I have to admit, I was incredibly relieved that I didn’t see a single frog during the cruise. For those who don’t know, I have a severe fear of frogs that dates back to my childhood. If you want to hear the full story, check out #14 on this list. However, the clever crew at Dinogo kept leaving frog towels in my room. Was it just a coincidence? Or do they actually enjoy my blog? Who can say?

One of the aspects I cherish most about being a father is the opportunity to create lasting memories with my children. Am I the ideal dad? Certainly not, but who truly is? What I can confidently affirm is that when my time on this earth comes to an end, my daughters will know that Daddy did everything he could to provide them with the best and happiest lives possible. The quality moments we shared together in paradise deepened our bond more than ever before.