Real Postcards

Reason for choosing this destination

We wanted a ‘big' trip away; something very memorable that we could always reflect on, to places that were a little further then the more typical/closer travel destinations.

Accommodation

Buena Vista Palace Hotel and Spa, Orlando
Cruise liner ‘Independence of the Seas' with Royal Caribbean
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel, Fort Lauderdale
RoomMate Grace Hotel, New York 

About our honeymoon

We were away for a month, and began our trip in DisneyWorld Orlando to visit the "happiest place on Earth". Surprisingly, honeymooners make up a large portion of guests at Walt DisneyWorld, and they cater very well for ‘romantic holidays'. We made sure we travelled in the non-peak season and never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride.

Cruising was the ‘relaxing' portion of our trip. We travelled along the incredibly picturesque coast of Mexico where we visited Cozumel, Costa Maya and Belize. Most of the ‘cruising' was done at night while we slept, so we woke up to a new destination each morning and had the whole day on land to explore each new location. Yet you were never at a want for things to do on the ship either - there were heaps of restaurants, nightclubs and bars, an ice-skating rink, surf/wave pool, rock-climbing, theatres etc. It was a great place to meet new people, who we have managed to keep in contact with.

Visiting New York in the lead up to Christmas was so magical. The city was covered in snow and Christmas decorations, and was a great experience to the contrast of a hot summer Christmas at home.

Favourite activities

I loved meeting Mini Mouse at Walt DisneyWorld! Snorkelling in crystal clear water amongst hundreds of fish and one giant turtle in Mexico was also amazing. Some of the highlights of New York included

• Feeling like a local and being part of the live audience at The Late Show with David Letterman at the historic Ed Sullivan Theatre
• Going to a grid iron game at Giants Stadium, and catching the bus in with the die-hard New York Jets fans! We really got into it with our NY Jets memorabilia. Those poor cheerleaders danced in snow and minus 10 degree weather the entire 4 hour game.
• Going to see the infamous Christmas tree at ehe Rockefeller Centre and trying our hand at the outdoor ice-skating rink.
• The sites: Going to the top of the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Centre, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and going inside the Statue of Liberty.

Best thing about your accommodation

Being on a really large cruise liner was a very different and memorable experience, which was great as that was exactly what we were after. Probably our best accommodation was in New York, where we stayed at a very reasonably priced but fantastic hotel right off Times Square. It had a great hip, youthful feel about it, with a bar that had an indoor swim-up pool. We discovered it was very popular with the locals, and made it easy for us to meet new people.

Tips or advice for others

Walt DisneyWorld

Be sure to plan ahead. It's an incredibly large place - it covers a staggering 100 square kilometres - so it's easy to become overwhelmed by it all. There are tons of tips and tricks to get very deep discounts on all sorts of things, as well as fast-track many of the queues, so be sure to do your research. I found the best place to start is at ‘Mousesavers.com'

Cruising

Cruising is an easy-going, hassle free, and very cheap way to holiday in the United States. All you need to do is find a ship and destination that suits you, so if you're not keen on much planning then this may be the way to go. All the restaurants and entertainment are included in the price, so all you need to do is go along for the ride! We have found it to be a great way to visit a series of places without the hassle and cost of constantly moving around. It's particularly good for visiting lots of islands, where access is difficult and costly.

Oh, and don't forget to mention that you're honeymooners - we enjoyed quite a few upgrades and lots of bottles of champagne, even on the plane!