For many people, the Caribbean is an exotic land that is as a place for only the rich and famous. But it doesn't have to be that way and today there are many affordable ways to explore this beautiful part of the world, it's exotic islands and amazing food and friendly people. For me personally, cruising is one of my favorite ways to do this since I get a "sampler" of different islands so I know where I want to come back to in the future. Ironically, I started this way but now I really enjoy the experience of cruising itself since I never get bored and get to see somewhere new each and every day!

Last fall I had the chance to take an 8-day Southern Caribbean Cruise with Carnival as part of one of our #MenWhoBlog cruises. This was the first time I've had a chance to really enjoy a cruise with a bunch of my guy friends as well as my wife so it was a bit of a different experience. Similarly, this was the longest cruise I've taken to date - and while it has been completely overhauled a couple years ago I was a bit nervous that it would feel dated. Luckily all those fears were unfounded and we had an amazing time that confirmed my premise that a group of guys can have an amazing time sailing together for a Carnival Cruise Mancation!

Way south in the Caribbean Sea are a couple islands that don't get as much love as their northern sisters but for those willing to take the trek south, there's a world of awesome and unique things waiting for you. Last fall, we visited Bonaire during a port day on the Carnival Sunshine. Here's some of the cool things that await you on your next visit.

Earlier this month I spent eight days in the middle of the Caribbean Sea with some of my friends exploring Carnival Sunshine. This ship is literally packed with activities and entertainment in every nook and cranny, but one area that seemed to be consistently drawing us back for more is SportsSquare. During the course of the week, we gathered here to play (mini) golf, shoot pool, play chess, corn hole, basketball, dodgeball, and shuffleboard with one of the best views you can ever ask for of the ocean as it passed by 14 decks below us.

In less than a week I'll be getting on Carnival Sunshine along with a group of other male bloggers. Before any cruise though, I always love to do research to prepare but this one's a bit different since not only is it the "newest" ship in the Carnival fleet but it's an experiment of sorts with some new venues that aren't available on any other ship. Plus, while Heather is joining me on this trip as part of a romantic getaway, it's also a mancation at sea with some of my best friends.

So, stay tuned to our adventure using #MWBcarnival on Twitter and Instagram. We're setting sail on November 13 and headed to Aruba, Bonaire, and Grand Turk before heading back to Port Canaveral on Florida's "Space Coast".

We're heading to Drai's Beachclub / Drai's Nightclub at The Cromwell next week, so we'll have more on this incredible club and one of the newer resorts on the strip. However, if you want to combine the high-energy EDM scene with an awesome cruise on one of my favorite ships (Carnival Inspiration) then you gotta check out The Groove Cruise. It's not for everyone, but this quote from the website about sums it up: "There’s no 2am curfew on this vessel! With nightly after-hours going into the early afternoon, there is no better way to leave the world behind."

In many respects, the Mediterranean Sea is the ultimate cruise ship destination, although you can journey all over the globe. Despite the fact that other regions around the world like the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Far East will also claim they are deserving of such an accolade, there is something truly special about this body of water, which links Europe to Africa and Asia.

OMG guys - I am a HUGE FAN of the Carnival Live program and it just keeps getting better. As you know, last year we joined Carnival for Styx, followed by Jewel and both were amazing experiences. Now, they are adding The Band Perry, BOSTON, Lionel Richie, and Heart to their already awesome lineup. that has included Journey, Styx, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, and Smokey Robinson earlier this year.

Are you considering a destination wedding or vow renewal? The options are getting better and MSC Divina is making waves in the Caribbean wedding scene!

Couples sailing aboard the ultramodern MSC Divina, one of MSC Cruises’ most elegant ships, can now legally say “I Do,” with the cruise line’s enhanced wedding offerings.

We've been waiting for this since the moment the ship was hinted at a couple years ago but now it's just a year away and Carnival just unveiled a ton of new details including the SkyRide - a pedal-powered attraction to take you around the top of the boat more than a 150 feet up in the air!

By now you know that I am a HUGE fan of cruising but frankly my experience has been limited to the shores of the United States and the Caribbean and we're sailing in mostly warm waters and tropical breezes. However there is a whole other world of cruising that I haven't yet been able to explore but can’t wait to do so at some point in the future - Once in a Lifetime Adventures.

Most of you probably remember Jewel from the mid/late 90s - yeah, that’s Alaskan folk singer-songwriter and many of you probably even still are aware of her for some of her later music but what I didn't realize until this week was how utterly amazing she is in concert. Jewel is a true artist and that means you are going to see and hear things you weren't expecting such as yodeling, opera, and requests by the audience that were so obscure (even to her) that she had to flip through a book the size of an encyclopedia to get the lyrics.

In a market that is nearly saturated but at the same time working feverishly to expand its reach, the cruise lines are in a fight to find a way to fill their ships and bring in new cruisers. While other lines are building ever bigger boats with features unheard of at sea, Carnival decided to focus on entertainment and creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are surprisingly affordable. Earlier this month we had the opportunity to spend a week on the brand new Carnival Breeze and experience it for ourselves.

Unlike "themed cruises" the band isn't actually on the ship during the voyage, so that means that you can still have a "normal" cruise experience but on concert night things turn up a notch. On this cruise, we started in Miami followed by stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and then during our stop at Cozumel, Mexico the band loaded their equipment on the ship and we stayed in port till about 1 a.m.

Dreaming of a Caribbean cruise but don't want to be bothered having to step around the "regular people" littered across the deck of a cruise ship? Maybe it's time to check out a private yacht rental such as the Ohana - the "star" of Bravo's reality TV series "Below Deck"!

Norwegian Cruise Line has been giving Carnival a run for its money recently with two great new ships and now a series of drinks based on their favorite destinations around the world. Created by Gabriel Orta of the Miami-based Bar Lab Cocktails this new series features unique drinks on different ships and highlights fresh local ingredients.

In our second interview of this series, we talk with Joyce Olivia, PR at Carnival Cruise Lines.

As you know, we are HUGE fans of Carnival and I think they are one of the top travel brands out there that really understands how social media and the travel industry have come together to extend the experience that most people will only be able to experience for a few days each year, into something that they plan, dream, and remember all year long.

As a cruise ship junkie I was thrilled for the opportunity to spend even a few hours aboard a ship that normally doesn't operate in the United States. Costa Crociere is an Italian cruise line that while the first to operate in the Caribbean is now working to rise to the attention of the North American travel market. The Costa Deliziosa in particular does an annual around the world tour and that's why she happened to stop in San Diego and give us the opportunity to check her out.

While Caribbean cruising may be king, the west coast of Mexico also offers some exciting opportunities for fun as well. To explore these, we boarded the Carnival Miracle and set off on a seven-day journey with our review starting in Los Angeles (Long Beach) and included two days in Cabo San Lucas and Puerta Vallarta before heading home.

There's more to cruising than the big three - (Carnival, Royal, and NCL) and I have been wanting to try Princess for quite a while, but never had the opportunity. Last month, we took a quick weekend escape out of Los Angeles on the Golden Princess and finally got to experience what it means to "Escape Completely".

The Golden Princess is a grand class ship, measuring 109,000 gross tons and carrying 2,600 passengers (double occupancy) plus 1,100 crew members.

Princess launched Golden in 2001, but retrofitted the ship in 2009.

Norwegian Cruise Lines is known for their vibrant entertainment, plentiful activities/dining options, and energetic atmosphere, and the Norwegian Breakaway offers the best of each. After attending a 2-Day Pre-Inaugural cruise onboard the Breakaway last week, I can confidently say that this ship caters to the manlier side of cruising very well.

Read on for our review of some great mancation features on Norwegian Breakaway!