What Makes a Good Family Cruise

Cruises are no longer the ‘stuffy’, up-market affair that they once perceived as. In fact, this image could not be further from the truth, now that there are a multitude of family-orientated cruises on the market.

Modern-day cruises, or ‘resort ships’ range from the grandeur of the Royal Caribbean fleet to the more classic cruises of P&O. Most importantly, all variations on the traditional cruise are family friendly and affordable.

Fly-cruise holidays

Some prefer to begin their family cruises by flying to port destinations such as Barcelona, Venice or Marseille, beginning their seafaring as they mean to go on, in warm, balmy resorts at the height of the season.

Some families may prefer to sail straight from England. Southampton is the biggest port for international cruises in the UK, and has ships which sail to a large number of destinations from here. This means you save yourself from the hassle of flying and can start enjoying your holiday straight away.

When the winter arrives, Caribbean and West Indies cruises come into their own. Many families prefer the ease of flying to Florida and setting sail from Miami or Fort Lauderdale for sun-soaked destinations like Barbados or the tropical idyll of the Bahamas.

Winter cruises in the Middle East are also popular and often take the form of cruise-and-stay. This means you and your family can disembark for a few days of relaxation at a Red Sea resort and then take back to the water with a Nile cruise later on. It’s a great opportunity to see the Pyramids and introduce your kids to an ancient historical monument.

 

Mini cruises

If you’ve never taken your children on a cruise before, you might like to ease them into the experience. There is no better way to do this than with a mini-cruise.

With many cheap mini-cruses sailing from UK ports on lines like Royal Caribbean International, P&O, Princess and Cunard. They generally last between two and five days and can combine your sailing with a stay at a nearby resort.

Made for families

Cruise lines such as P&O and Royal Caribbean International are outstanding when it comes to cheap family cruises. The former even has a fleet of specifically family-orientated ships, including the Ventura, Oriana and Aurora, all of which offer a myriad activities for children aged 2-17 (if you’ve a 17-year-old who’d still consider a holiday with their parents, of course).

Royal Caribbean International ships offer their Adventure Ocean Youth Programme to 3-17 year olds, which include activities such as rock climbing, surfing and skating.

The facilities, food, accommodation and access to some of the world’s best holiday destinations make cruises a brilliantly relaxing way to holiday. Book one for you and your family this year; you won’t be disappointed.