Re: Taking a Toddler on a Cruise
Hi Gravitas
Cruising with young ones is excellent and most parents absolutely love it.
Kids are looked after by staff in the special kids clubs. They are given all manner of fun activities day in day out.
Parents therefore get to go on holiday and ACTUALLY have a holiday themselves instead of having to constantly watch out for their kids and keep them entertained.
P&O Cruises are great, very kid friendly.
The ship Realspeed highlighted with the photo, the Aurora, is imho the best ship in the fleet however it is about to become adult only. So you'll have to pick another.
Ventura is a good option. Bigger than Aurora, but much less formal and very kid friendly. There are 1000s of balconies and so they are cheaper on that ship. Definitely get a balcony and don't worry one jot about danger. A 2yr old could never ever scale the balcony glass barrier and railing.
Also note that for a 1st cruise, the temptation to just do a really short one to see if you like it, is false economy and will likely lead to disappointment. Short cruises of around 7-8 days or less tend to attract a different set of clientele.
You need to decide whether to fly-cruise or go round trip from Southampton. I ALWAYS do the latter. Driving to the port, dumping our car off and stepping straight onto the ship is irreplaceable. No long queues and waiting at airports. Your holiday starts right there.
The Fjords are lovely and scenic but since every port is at the bottom of craggy rocks and mountains there's bugger all to do at most of them and so taking expensive excursions and coach trips becomes necessary. The Fjords is an expensive choice. A pint of beer out there costs a fortune.
My recommendation would be to go into the Mediterranean.
Most ports there are easy "walk-offs" where you can stroll at your leisure without forking out for expensive excursions.
The sailing in the Med is idyllic, calm seas 90%+ of the time.
Lots of great places to visit. Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Dubrovnik etc etc. If sailing from Southampton then it takes 2 days to get down to the Med crossing the Bay of Biscay and down the east coasts of Northern Spain and Portugal. At times that stretch can be lumpy but it's all par for the course. Totally manageable.
Take a 12-14 nt cruise to the Med or if you can spare the time the 18-19 nt cruise to Venice and back.
You won't be disappointed.
On a shorter 7-9nt cruise you will get a totally different experience. You cant judge one by the other.
Also it makes a huge difference if you cruise in school holiday periods. Different clientele again.
I would definitely encourage everyone to try cruising at least once. Most people never look back and get quickly addicted. It is for me the absolute best way to travel.
Majestic, totally relaxing, exhilarating and wonderful.
And you get to meet so many lovely new people who inevitably become friends.