As you plan — or even go — on your summer vacation, think about this: More and more Americans are no longer taking a few weeks off to suntan and sight see abroad. Instead they’re working in orphanages, building schools and teaching English.

It’s called volunteer tourism, or “voluntourism,” and it’s one of the fastest growing trends in travel today. More than 1.6 million volunteer tourists are spending about $2 billion each year.

While cruising in the Caribbean, you  can now take four hours out of your vacation to give something back to the people of the Caribbean. Help plant a garden…read a story to a children’s class…or help prepare lunch at a senior center. Here’s an easy way to make volunteer tourism an integral part of your vacation. Get involved and feel great about what you do. Shore Trips is offering excursions from your ship to do this.