The Disney Magic remains docked at its private island, Castaway Cay, due to 50 mph winds and high waves. The Magic was scheduled back in Port Canaveral Saturday morning, but it is not expected to dock until late Saturday night. Port Canaveral officials said it will take the ship 13 hours to reach the port because it will cruise into the heavy northwesterly wind.

The delay has impacted thousands of Disney Cruise Line passengers from the passengers who were scheduled to embark Saturday afternoon to the Disney Wonder passengers who may have to dock at another location or wait while the Disney Magic disembarks and embarks passengers.

It’s official – Disney is headed to Alaska in 2011. The line announced the news from the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California that the Disney Wonder will be sailing round trip from Vancouver.

Starting May 3 thru September 6, 2011, the Disney Wonder will do seven-night, round-trip Alaska itineraries out of Vancouver with stops at Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Fares will start at $939 per person, based on double occupancy.

Between January 23 and April 17, 2011, and again between September 25 and December 18, 2011, the Wonder will do seven-night, round-trip Mexico itineraries from Los Angeles with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Fares will begin at $639 per person, based on double occupancy.

Meanwhile, the Disney Magic will return to the Mediterranean in 2011, sailing 10- and 11-night itineraries out of Barcelona during the summer season. Fares will begin at $1,739 per person, based on double occupancy.

Adventures by Disney is teaming up with the cruise line for a number of neat tours. Stay tuned for more information.

A cruise vacation is a great way to travel as a family, since many elements of the trip are conveniently wrapped up into one stress-free package. From accommodations and meals to entertainment and activities, the almost all-inclusive cruise experience is a tremendous value. The value aspect is precisely why cruising continues to attract more families and keep them coming back for more. It’s no surprise then that cruise lines are investing heavily in more family-friendly features and innovations in their youth programs.

Still, there are ships that stand out more than others. Here are the top ten ships for kids.

Disney Magic and Disney Wonder

Disney Cruise Line is the gold standard when it comes to kids cruising. Both the line’s vessels have nearly a full deck area devoted to the little ones, with activities that are overseen by a large number of counselors.

There are separate areas for each age group. The Oceaneer Club has separate activities for 3- to 5-year-olds and 6- to 7-year-olds. The Oceaneer Lab has interactive activities for kids ages 8 to 9 and others for kids ages 10 to 12. Kids 10 to 14 who don’t want to participate in organized activities can visit the Ocean Quest area, where they can chill out and play video games, create arts and crafts or just watch a movie.

The coolest part is the scaled replica of the ship’s bridge, where youngsters can “steer” the ship in and out of ports around the globe. For teens, there are the Aloft area (on the Disney Wonder) and The Stack area (on the Disney Magic); each area is a combination dorm room and apartment offering music, games, large-screen TV, a lounge area, Internet area and shipboard programs like animation, moviemaking, karaoke, fitness classes and pool parties just for teens. There is also a large arcade area. Outdoor fun includes the popular Mickey’s Pool, which has a winding water slide and a sports deck area where kids can let off steam.

Both ships offer a 3-D cinematic experience in both the Walt Disney and Buena Vista Theatres where guests can enjoy first-run, full-length 3-D films such as Walt Disney Pictures’ “Bolt” and “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience.” This past spring the Disney Wonder premiered a lavish theatrical production, “Toy Story-The Musical.”

Also from July 9 through August 2 Disney Channel stars will be onboard for “Disney Channel Summer at Sea.” Disney Channel stars will participate in onboard deck parties, join guests for Q & A and autograph sessions, preview screenings of Disney Channel programming and participate in live musical performances. Disney also has abundant shore excursions geared toward kids and their families.

Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom-class ships are tough to beat for all their onboard active offerings. All offer rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, in-line skating tracks, basketball and tennis courts, miniature golf, water parks and a totally cool surfing park. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean Youth Program offers specially designed programs for babies and kids from 3 to 11 and teens from 12 to 17. For the tiniest cruisers, parents and babies 6 to 36 months old can participate in the Fisher-Price Aqua Babies and Aqua Tots programs, interactive playgroup sessions developed by early childhood experts at Fisher-Price. For the older kids, the program is divided into five groups: Aquanauts (ages 3 to 5), Explorers (ages 6 to 8), Voyagers (ages 9 to 11), Navigators (ages 12 to 14), and Guests (ages 15 to 17). Every program blends educational activities with games and arts and crafts for a unique onboard experience for the kids.

Teens in Adventure Ocean have their own area called the Living Room that offers a place to relax or take part in games, sports, theme parties and movies. When teens want to boogie, they have their own nightclub called Fuel.

One ship that is sure to be on the list next year is Royal Caribbean’s new vessel, Oasis of the Seas. Launching in November, Oasis will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. It will also offer a huge Youth Zone neighborhood covering a massive 28,700 square feet. The ship will also launch the cruise line’s first nursery for infants and toddlers (six months or older). Oasis will also introduce the first zip line at sea stretching 82 feet in length and suspended nine decks above the exciting Boardwalk area and the first beach pool at sea, featuring a true-to-form sloped entry and colorful beach chairs and umbrellas — the ultimate beach experience!

Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess, Crown Princess

Princess Cruises has one of the best children’s programs afloat and the line continues to add even more fun to its already terrific list of kids’ activities. Princess Pelicans (ages 3 to 8) have their own play area that offers a small rock-climbing wall, beanbag chairs, crafts area and a splash pool. The Shockwaves program, for 8- to 12-year-olds, also has its own area, which includes plenty of table games and lots of space for sitting and chatting, making crafts and playing games. Shockwaves kids can also participate in the Junior Chefs@Sea program, which takes kids to the ship’s galley to learn cooking from the executive chef and staff.

The Remix area for teens is a mature living-room setting similar to a coffee shop. It comes equipped with air hockey tables, foosball and PlayStation2 consoles. Teens also have an outside whirlpool (no adults allowed) and a small arcade room across the hall. A bonus is the teen makeover program, run by youth counselors and boutique staff in conjunction with Clinique, which teaches skin care to both girls and boys and makeup techniques to the girls. Princess also has a Youth Security Program, in which staff in their early 20s watch over the teenagers. These highly trained personnel continually monitor the hallways and public areas to make sure kids don’t get out of hand.

Outdoor fun includes great pools and a sports court, where kids can play basketball or tennis, and a nine-hole miniature golf course. Lastly, there is “Movies Under the Stars” where kids can lounge on a deck chair, eat popcorn and watch movies on the giant 300-square-foot screen.

Carnival Freedom and Carnival Splendor

Camp Carnival offers morning-til-night activities in its expansive indoor play areas, which are stocked with a wide variety of games, toys and activities that focus on art, reading, science, geography and physical fitness. Kids are divided into four age groups: Toddlers (ages 2 to 5), Juniors (ages 6 to 8), Intermediates (ages 9 to 11), and Teens (ages 12 to 14). Outdoor play areas offer mini-basketball hoops, jungle gyms and other playground equipment, as well as game rooms offering the latest video and arcade games.

Kids who like to have fun in the sun also enjoy acres of deck space for outdoor games and activities such as ping-pong, volleyball and shuffleboard, along with many swimming options, including children’s wading pools and main Lido Deck pools, which have cascading water slides. Also poolside is a giant 300-square-foot screen lights up with a variety of programs throughout the day and night, including first-run movies. Carnival also offers YSPA, a youth spa program that offers teen-specific body and beauty treatments. Club 02 teen program is for kids ages 15 to 17 and has dedicated facilities and energetic counselors.

Over the next several months “Laser Tag” will be implemented onboard the Carnival Freedom and Carnival Splendor. The game is played in a large inflatable arena that is over 50 feet long. Inside the arena kids can battle among obstacles and go through a maze lit by glowing black lights. Laser guns use “sensors” that are worn around the player’s arm, which makes it easy for players to move throughout the arena’s maze.

Another ship that will be on next year’s list is the Carnival Dream. Slated to launch on September 21, the Carnival Dream will be Carnival’s biggest ship and will offer more than 19,000 square feet of space catering just to kids, ’tweens and teens. There will be expansive indoor and outdoor play areas to a sprawling aqua park housing the 303-foot-long, four-deck-high corkscrew water slide — the longest slide at sea!

With all the inventive program offerings on board these top 10 cruise ships, you no longer have to listen to the kids complaining, “I’m bored!” These ships are hip — and that’s something family cruisers can stand up and cheer about.

St. Petersburg was founded 306 years ago when Peter the Great laid the cornerstone of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Originally built as a seaport, Peter regarded it as a ‘window on Europe’ and the city quickly flourished as a cultural center. Peter modeled the city after Amsterdam, but its Baroque golden palaces and enormous cathedrals are more along the lines of extravagant Italian architecture. St. Petersburg was actually the capital of Russia between 1710 and 1918. However, when the Bolsheviks came to power Moscow became the capital once more.

Former Russian President (now Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin is from St. Petersburg and has been the catalyst in restoring the city to its former glory after decades of Soviet-era decline. With its freshly painted facades, there has never been a better time to visit the city.

The city sits on more than 40 islands in the Neva estuary, near the Baltic Sea. Because of its sixty-six canals and rivers, St. Petersburg is sometimes called the “Venice of the North.” The network of canals and rivers reflect a constantly changing sky and gives the city a different look and feel throughout the day. Nevsky Prospekt, inspired by the Champs-Elysées, is the central artery in the city for cars and other vehicles. However, it is touring by boat that offers the best views of the city. You will see numerous palaces and mansions along the canals and rivers highlights like the Stroganov Palace, the Summer Garden, and the mysterious Michael’s Castle, where the Russian Emperor Paul I was murdered.

One of the most famous sites in the city is the hauntingly named Church of the Spilt Blood, a colorful ornate onion-domed extravaganza. The church was commissioned by Alexander III to memorialize the tragic death of his father, Alexander II, who was killed on the site in 1881 by a terrorist’s bomb. After decades of neglect, this impressive building has been restored to some of its Orthodox glory. Another restored church is St. Issac’s Cathedral, with its massive granite edifice and gilded dome it dominates the skyline. Another church that is hard to miss along the city’s skyline is the St Peter and Paul Cathedral. Set in the heart of the Peter and Paul Fortress, this is where Peter the Great and his Romanov descendents are buried.

Also along the Neva River is the Cruiser Aurora, launched in 1903. The Aurora fought in the 1904-05 Russian-Japanese War and World War II, but is best known for her role in the Bolshevik Revolution. At 9:40 p.m. on October 25, 1917, the Aurora fired the shot that signaled the invasion of the Winter Palace.

The Winter Palace was the tsars’ official residence and has been the setting for more than its share of tragedy. It is now one of the five buildings that house the Hermitage, one of the world’s greatest art museums. No visit to St. Petersburg would be complete without a visit to the Hermitage. In this writer’s opinion, the Hermitage is better than touring the Louvre. No other museum in the world lets you come so close to some of the world’s greatest art masterpieces.