Cruising with the Family

Travel Takeaways.... Cruising with the Family

Getting aboard a cruise ship as part of a holiday can be a great way to see some parts of the world that otherwise might be a little difficult to get to, so if you have kids or are travelling with a big family group where accessibility is an issue (think the Italian Coast or getting around the 4 Islands of Hawaii) this could be for you.  Lots of people think cruising is not for them, so we tried it out and we found;

1. It’s all inclusive:  Most cruise ships packages are all inclusive so that you can get food and drink whenever and wherever you want, which makes the whole experience feel that little bit special, like the whole cruise ship is there for you.  Depending on what package you buy, you just swipe your card and whatever you want is brought to you for you to enjoy, no need to worry about paying or tipping or worrying about your budget, you can enjoy your trip and on most of the cruise ships we have been the food is pretty good and the drinks plentiful

   
   

2. The fun of cruising.  Despite what you may think it is actually a lot of fun sailing on the high seas, you get a special feeling knowing you are sailing across oceans or seas and that you are in a big floating hotel.  The crew do everything then can to entertain you and make you feel like you are their special guest.  There are always activities to undertake around the pool deck or in the theatre and you don’t have to worry about who is going to drive you home, you just wander up the stairs and down the corridor.  At lunch and dinner you can glam it up if you want or just relax and make it pretty casual and when you get back to your room, your butler, yes your butler, will have cleaned the room and made your bed.

   
   

3. The convenience of cruising:  So checking in the first day can be a little like an airport with crowds and queues, but you only have to do it once and you avoid the multiple airport lines that you can face on a multi city holiday.  And your luggage gets taken from you and delivered straight to your room  where you can unpack and stay that way for the whole length of your holiday.  You also don’t have to fight the traffic, find a park or check in and out of your room and all the while you get to see some amazing views of the coast line.  The Amalfi Coast in Italy and the Na Pali Coast in Hawaii are both best seen from a boat and you can see it from the convenience of your stateroom.

   
   

4. The variety of things to do.  Not only are there lots of things to do on the cruise ship; the Cruise Lines each have their own special niche clientele that they are trying to capture; so if you have kids you can get a Cruise Line that specialises in entertaining them; or if food is your thing, you can book a holiday on a Cruise Line that has some of the greatest chefs alive curating their restaurants.  Even within a particular line there is so much to do.  You can drop your kids off at kids club and go and have a romantic dinner at the Captains Table or slip into the Casino if that is your thing.

   
   

5. It gets crowded.  You are on a Cruise Ship with anywhere from 500 to 5000 other people and even the biggest cruise ships can feel a little crowded particularly at meal times and around the pool, so we recommend you plan a little and eat your dinners and lunches just a little off peak, make a reservation for the most popular restaurants and when somebody crashes into you with a plateful of bacon and eggs at breakfast that looks like it could feed 5, take a deep breath and remember you are in a pretty amazing part of the world with some pretty amazing family and friends.

Whilst not for everybody with the help of a great Travel Advisor, if you find the right cruise you might just surprise yourself.

And we would love your contributions as well, if you think we missed something or just want to say that you agree, then leave a comment and provide other Travel Coordinates clients get the most out of their next holiday and if you need any help getting your Travel plans Coordinated or advice on where to go, what to do or how to get there, then don’t hesitate to reach out.