For a very long time, I had heard several people rant on about how great going on a cruise is but I was never particularly tempted to test the waters.

Our most memorable holidays always consist of basing ourselves in a pretty and lively location and renting a car to visit surrounding cities and villages within a 2-hour radius.  We love to get into the car and go places to discover local food, traditions, scenery and architecture.  Our favourite country to holiday in, which never ever disappoints is Italy.

When Nina turned 2 years old, we toyed with the idea of booking a cruise.  If we ever had to try cruising out, there never was a better time to do so.  Travelling with two kids, one of them a toddler, is sometimes stressful and trying; and so we went ahead and booked our first family cruise.

Here’s what I loved about it:

Convenience

We are lucky enough to have cruise liners departing and arriving in our country, Malta, so we booked a Malta to Malta cruise.  Our taxi picked us up at 10:30 am and took us to the cruise terminal in Valletta.  He stopped us bang in front of it, and my husband wheeled our luggage a silly 20 metres to the drop off point.  Within 30 minutes we were checked in and seated at a table in the pool bar waiting for our cocktails to arrive.  Bliss!

Safety

A body scan was part of the deal for each and every person embarking on the ship; along with their bags, strollers, the works.  This was great peace of mind in moments of unrest in this mad, mad world.
If you have older kids, you can be assured that they are way safer than any hotel in the world if they enjoy being a little bit more independent!

Value for money

Whilst cruising costs slightly more than your average holiday, the return on investment is phenomenal.  It cost us a very reasonable €3300 for a family of four (two adults, an 11 year old, and a 2 year old) for 7 nights travelling in peak season including a very impressive ‘all-inclusive’ basis, the top of the range window cabin, and all taxes, fees and excursions paid for.

Food & drinks

We are complete foodies.  One of my worries was that we wouldn’t enjoy the restrictions of a cruise ship when it came to dining.  On the contrary, the options were so vast, and the food so fresh and delicious, dining was an absolute pleasure.  
Whilst after a 7 day holiday I would normally feel a little too stuffed for my liking (eating steaks, fish and healthier options is not so viable every single day – hey – you have to eat a bit of pizza and pasta!); this time around I could opt for the more expensive and more wholesome options which were readily available all throughout the day.

The drinks were incredible!  We are both cocktail lovers and the consistent quality of the drinks, as well as the brands of alcohol used, were top notch, and they were to die for!  
Yanik also enjoyed ordering non-alcoholic cocktails which are usually so pricey we never splurge on, and both kids savoured the exquisite ice cream on offer for long hours every day.

The buffet restaurants had an adorable kids section with a children’s height food bar and little tables and chairs!
Food was available 24/7, so so handy when you have little children who all have different routines and mealtimes!

Hygiene

The cleanliness of the ship was on par with the almost sterile cleanliness found in the famous Singapore Changi airport. Every time I visited the bathroom the cleaner was furiously scrubbing away, so much so we ended up on a first name basis!  
The cabins are cleaned at least twice a day.  The housekeepers very keenly asked us if we would like our cabin cleaned a second or third time every day.  Waiters hovered over tables like hawks and took away empty plates and glasses as soon as we were done.

Entertainment

The ship we were on is not particularly renowned for its onboard entertainment.  We did get one opportunity to pop into the theatre and were very impressed!  Unfortunately, we did not get the opportunity to visit another time, as it was not the best scenario for Nina, who is an early sleeper.  
There was also entertainment in the evenings around the pool, and during cruising sea days, which was brilliant!

Although our 11 year old was not keen on visiting the kid’s club, the children seemed to be having a ball. Some cruise liners are exceptionally good at giving the parents a break, with bonuses such as early mealtimes for the kids.  The adults can then dine in peace while the children are having fun, and babysitting services stretch into the night and morning.

The holidaying part

It was a beautiful experience to wake up each morning and look out of the window to see a different country every day.  We got to see so many new places in such little time.  Cruising only gave us a day in each city we visited, however, it was enough to savour a little bit of what the place had to offer.  Whichever places we really enjoyed, we can always go back to!

The little extras when cruising

The service was lovely and heartwarming.  The cleaners and help would say hello to our children using their first names several times a day.  We would find flowers in our cabin and chocolates would be delivered daily.  Ample good quality toiletries were provided; and although the room size was not large, it was roomier than I expected and the size of closet surpassed my expectations by a mile.  It was huge!

Soft, plush towels and bathrobes and slippers were a part of the package too.

Several water dispensers were strategically placed in corridors so you never ran out of fresh water. A coffee machine, as well as coffee pods (replenished daily), were also found in the cabin.

The fact that lots of families are on cruises means that your children are in the ideal place to make new friends and have like-minded company!

Handy tips for families going on a cruise

1. Pack instant acting seasickness pills and gum.  None of us needed it, but we did meet a few people who were so seasick that they couldn’t enjoy themselves.  The ship only rocked ever so slightly one night – but these poor people suffered chronic seasickness all throughout.
2. Get a good cabin.  I really wanted a balcony room but there were none available for a family of four.  In the end, we settled for a window cabin.  If your kids are early sleepers or late risers this is an absolute must.  The window helped me curb my anxiety until I got used to sleeping on a ship in the middle of the ocean.
3. I hate clutter, and even more so when we are on holiday. What drives me nuts is having to waste time organising and clearing up!  I bought two very cheap over-door organisers off eBay and used one over the bathroom door for toiletries, and a second one hanging on to a coat hanger in the cabin next to the desk for all the little bits and pieces we would have otherwise left lying around: tickets for the bus, hairbands, padlocks, hairpins, small change, sunglasses…
   We had virtually no clutter lying around and everything was so easy to find!  It was super easy to pack too, I simply folded it as is and straight into our luggage it went!
4. Take a good water bottle for each person.  Fill it regularly from the many available water dispensers to keep yourself and your family hydrated.
5. Before booking a cruise check the arrival and departure times of the cruise liner in the specific ports.  The cruise we went on was perfect as we would arrive early, say 8 am or 9 am, and leave in the evening, at about 8:30 pm.  I have heard of cruise liners which only spend 4 or 5 hours in a particular country.  This is way too little to enjoy, especially if you have young children and are going at a slower pace.
6. Take some company with you.  We cruised with my in-laws, which was lovely as besides getting along so well with them, we also had an extra hand with the kids.  If you are able to travel with family or friends, go for it!  We took it in turns to shower and get changed for dinner, so the kids were not holed up in the cabin for too long waiting for us to get ready.

What I disliked about cruising

The only thing I would change is that if I have the option, I would rather plan my own excursions.  It’s not that they were not interesting, it’s just that I would have planned better for our pace and liking.

We will always be ‘fly, rent a car and drive’ types of travellers at heart.  However, I did not regret booking a cruise and look forward to cruising again!  If I could describe cruising in 6 words it would be ‘A 7 star hotel on water’!