*Collaborative post.
7 reasons why cruises are great for families
Deciding on a family holiday seems to get harder and harder every year. There are so many wonderful destinations to choose from and it can be difficult to make the call. We spend so much time in our campervan travelling around the UK, but sometimes I just crave a bit of rest and relaxation. Deciding between long haul and short haul, snow or sunshine, relaxation or adventure…how do you choose? As our children are still so young, it can be difficult to choose a holiday that best suits everyone’s needs. My eldest would love an active holiday, with boat trips, surfing and riding her bike, whereas our middle daughter would be quite happy paddling in the sea and spending hours building sandcastles. Our youngest who has not long turned one…well he is at that age where he would prefer to eat the sand rather than play in it, and keeping a sun hat on him – well that is enough to add a few wrinkles to my complexion. So with this in mind it has got me thinking…with so many people raving about cruising, could a cruise be a perfect choice for us as a family of five? I have turned to a few experts to give me their reasons why cruises are great for families.
Easy Travel
Leona from Wandermustfamily likes how easy cruising is – “You can be as independent or as organised by the ship as you want. And you don’t need to worry about travelling between places, food or medicine!”
Relaxation and sightseeing all in one holiday
Nichola who blogs over at Globalmouse travels adds “I would say cruises are brilliant for allowing us to still have the independent travel we love – trips out exploring cities and islands – but also down time where the kids are looked after and we can get to relax, read a book, sleep etc!”
Photocredit Globalmouse travels
Family Friendly Cruising
Claire from Tinboxtraveller has recently written a great post about 9 things you didn’t know about cruising with a baby. “We’ve loved cruising because of the variety of places you can get a taster of in one holiday, the wonderful food and entertainment; and the family friendly staff. We didn’t have one meal when our kids weren’t made a fuss of and our cabin steward went out of his way to create our girls a zoo of towel animals.”
Photo credit – TinboxTraveller
Catering for all ages
Zena from Zena’s Suitcase adds “If you have kids of very different ages going on a cruise is a great option. We went to the Middle East with a 14 year old and a toddler, and the both had the best time. There’s so many activities and things to do that everyone was happy. As parents we probably had one of the best holidays as we weren’t worrying that someone wasn’t having a good time. Visiting a new destination everyday was a huge bonus too.”
Entertainment
Penny From Parentshaped tells me “It’s very much like campervanning in some ways, the freedom to wake up in new places every day but the familiarity of the same base in your floating hotel! The entertainment and food were top-notch meaning the kids begged to go to kids club all the time and we got to have date nights in the restaurants and piano bar. Actually, the piano bar bizarrely was a massive unexpected love for me!”
Activities
Sarah who writes at Extraordinary Chaos says “For us it’s the perfect holiday when travelling with older children, our boys are super sporty and cruise ships offer the perfect balance of chill time, family activities and sports to keep us all happy, plus the food is just incredible.”
Photocredit Extraordinary Chaos
Food and Entertainment for all ages
Lisa who writes over at Travel loving family says “Cruising is perfect for families, it’s convenient (kids only have to get used to sleeping in one bed and yet you can travel the world), the food and entertainment is on tap and perfectly suited to all ages and it’s a unique opportunity to dress up! Apart from weddings we rarely dress up as a family so cruising is the perfect chance to get my boys and hubby looking handsome in their suits and for me to enjoy wearing a cocktail dress!” Lisa has written some great posts about cruising – including what to pack for a cruise
So have you ever considered a cruise holiday with kids?
Cruising with Kids, written by Claire, Karen, Lisa and Sarah offers a great resource if you are considering a cruise holiday – do pop over and have a read!
For a Beginners guide to cruise holidays head over to Candyfloss and dreams.
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