My tips for happy family cruises

I never thought that cruising would be something I could even begin to consider with two children under the age of 8. Chris, 4, and Becky, 7, and my husband Peter and I have just returned from our first ever cruise, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. We had the most fun we have ever had on holiday! I had always thought of cruises as something for the over-sixties; retirees and wealthy couples. However, we have always wanted to go Egypt to see the pyramids, and did not fancy taking the children to spend a week in Cairo, from all accounts a busy and noisy city. Friends recommended that we take a cruise from Greece, which would stop in Alexandria. From there we could arrange an excursion to the Pyramids and be back onboard the next day. When we started to look into it, I was amazed at the number of cruises that are targeted at families. Most ships are now very well set up to cater for families with children of all ages. I was really impressed with the range of activities that are on offer. Every day, there is a kids club, with things like a ball pit and soft play, paddling pools, games and activities scheduled throughout the day. At night or in the afternoon, there are special children’s discos and film showings. Older children can go to a teenager specific area. Most ships also have several pools, tennis, golf, ice-skating, and even a climbing wall. The staff are friendly and qualified, and there are usually lots of them. Children’s club activities run until late, so you can leave the children there. We were really impressed with the accommodation. We had one four-bed cabin, with a balcony, which was spacious and well decorated.

It is very easy and safe to get around the ship and the food was also good. There was a choice of restaurants, including Italian food like pizza and pasta, which was great for the kids, and British meals, but we also had room service on our first night, as the children were tired. On most cruises, you can eat when you want, which really helps when you have kids. The only thing I would do differently is to do more research before we go. We met another family who had used cruises.co.uk, which is a website all about cruising. As well as lots of reviews and photos of the ships, there is a special section all about cruising for families, which covers what to expect and lists different companies that specialise in cruising holidays for families. This gives you a real idea of what to expect, and covers things like safety- which was paramount in my mind, and what sort of ages enjoy the trips the best. I think if I had found this before we went, I would have been less nervous. Overall, I would strongly recommend it as an affordable, family friendly option and will definitely go again.