Take the plunge with the kids
If you've always wanted to take the family on a cruise holiday, but were a little unsure about their suitability for
the kids - think again! Cruise specialist travel writer, Dinah Hatch, shows why they are the perfect holiday solution
for all the family.
Kids. They're tough to please sometimes and choosing a holiday to suit every member of your family can be even tougher.
The older ones want to meet other kids, do cool stuff like basketball and play video games and have some independence,
while younger ones still require full-time looking after plus plenty of entertaining.
You want them all to have a great time, you never want to hear them utter the words 'I'm bored' and, crucially, you
want some time to relax!
On our first family cruise holiday, my daughter delighted in morning sessions at the croche with fantastic staff,
playing with new friends while I chilled out by the pool with an ice cream and a good book. I befriended a fellow
cruise mate in the Jacuzzi who said she shared breakfast with her 10-year-old and 14-year-old each morning and then
didn't see them until lunch such was their eagerness to take part in one of the many activities going on.
In the afternoons we would regroup as a family and go off to explore the destination we had glided into that morning,
joining an excursion or just soaking up some sun on the beach while our daughter made sandcastles.
Cruising in the 21st Century is all about the family and Virgin Holidays has teamed up with Carnival Cruise Lines,
which is famous for its family-friendly thinking, to provide customers with an experience that both adults and children
will get so much out of.
Carnival Sensation is a wonderful ship for those with younger children. Its 'Camp Carnival' children's programme,
which is split into toddlers (2-5), juniors (6-8), intermediates (9-12) and teens (13-15), has friendly, highly
qualified staff who entertain and care for the children.
Dozens of activities from singalongs and puppet shows to board games and drawing contests are laid on and the
ship's three pools, including a children's pool, provide plenty of water sport fun, too.
The Sensation's four-day round-trip itinerary from Cape Canaveral via Freeport and Nassau is a perfect toe dip in
the water for families wanting to see how a cruise with the kids pans out.
And the destinations are ideal - the cruise itinerary includes the stunning port of Nassau with its idyllic beaches,
fantastic duty-free shopping and famous straw market, selling all manner of straw items. Make sure you haggle! And then
there's Paradise Island, where the popular Cabbage Beach, lined with palms, seagrapes and casuarinas, makes an ideal
spot for relaxing on shore.
Carnival's Fascination will suit families with slightly older kids. Children can take part in craft activities,
such as jewellery making and photography workshops, whilst teens can enjoy pool parties, volleyball, pizza nights,
talent shows, ping-pong tournaments and video games.
The round-trip four-day itinerary from Miami via Key West, Mexico and Cozumel provides a cultural experience the
family will always remember, while the shopping at Miami and the Fort Lauderdale malls will go down a storm.
So the next time you're stuck for a way to keep everyone happy on holiday, think about the high seas. No meals to
cook, no frantic days out to organise and a ready-made social life for the kids. Now that's a proper holiday.
* Carnival Sensation has replaced the Superliner Fantasy
Carnival ship, which is featured in the Virgin Holidays' 2007 Florida brochure. All itinerary details remain the same.
Dinah Hatch