Five Reasons to Take a Family Cruise
Toward the end of the summer, my family and I took a cruise. The cruise was to celebrate my father in law’s 75th birthday. Originally, I was a little hesitant about cruising with kids. I read all the blogs and all the articles that gave dos and don’ts, packing and survival tips. My research quickly eased my nerves and allowed us to have the best family vacation. This trip was a breeze!
I highly recommend taking a cruise as a family trip, and here are five reasons why ::
All Inclusive
We booked our cruise a year in advance, so it was paid in full. I was able to order bottled water for our room. We also paid for our excursions in advance. So, when sailing time came everything was taken care of. I didn’t have to worry about any surprise charges. Since my husband and I don’t drink a lot, we did not purchase a drink package, so we did have to pay for our drinks at the end of the trip as well as other things we chose to purchase but that tab was less than $300.
No Cooking!
One of the best perks of this trip was the fact that I did not have to cook. Like at all! There were several options for my family to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the café. We had the option for fine dining in the main dining room. We also had options for late night snacking. That pizza was so good! The ship had several restaurants that were not included in the all you can eat fare and cost a little extra. If you asked my girls, the ice cream was the best!
No Screen Time
While the boat offered a Wi-Fi package, it was not needed. No phones, no laptops, no tablets. We used this time to unplug, bond, relax and be present. We spent countless hours at the pool. We explored the ship, ate, took in shows, ate, and just enjoyed each other.
The Entertainment
The ship offered tons of activities and shows. Some were adult only, but most were family friendly. There were craft activities, spa days, wine tastings, an arcade, ice skating and rock-climbing lessons. My family particularly enjoyed karaoke night and put-put golf. There was something to do every minute of this trip. No chance for anyone to complain about being bored.
Kids Club
The ship offered a kids club. This is the place where we dropped off the kids when we wanted to attend the adult shows. Think twenty-four-hour daycare. My girls loved it. They played games, did crafts, and watched movies. The club was separated by age, and we had to check them in and out, which made me feel better about leaving them. This was also free of charge, until 10pm, and after we paid a small fee per hour. The fee was considerably less than what a babysitter would charge. Leaving the girls allowed us to have some alone time and take in some shows, explore on our own or just rest.
My husband and I are big believers in giving our kids experiences and this has by far been the best experience yet.
So much so, that the girls are asking when we are going on another cruise. I would love to take a cruise during the winter break. But that is a few trips down the line. We have a few more adventures to check off our to do list. If you have not taken a cruise with your kids, I highly recommend it. It is definitely not as scary as you think.
