Half Term Happiness

It’s my last day in the office for a week as I am off with my boys next week for the October half term. They have already put there orders in of what they would like to do – Swimming , the pictures , friends house , the park, legoland to name but a few. Never a cheap week but if there busy then there happy and that equals peace!!!! I can’t believe the first school term is over already. As I blogged before my youngest boy has just started school and we went to parents evening last night to see how he was getting along. I am happy to report that he is settling in beautifully and the teacher seems to think that he is a little charmer (she obviously hasn’t seen his cheeky side yet!!!) I do enjoy this time with them as I work so hard it’s nice to have a break with them and just have some fun.

For those of you that cruise with children you may wonder if cruising is going to be suitable for them and keep then occupied enough. Well don’t worry because most ships out there will have something to keep your little ones active and having fun for hours.

Have a look at my guide below and see which ship is going to best for you and your family.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN


Special Programs for Families: Imagine 4-year-olds strutting their moves along with their 40-year-old moms at Family Disco Hour, an opportunity they probably don’t otherwise have outside of family weddings. Other family activities include karaoke, family sports tournaments, pool games (such as a relay in which family teammates switch out of and into a wet T-shirt between legs of the race) and beach “Olympics” (the competition includes classic — and goofy — events like the three-legged race).

DISNEY

Oodles. The ships’ live stage shows — “Hercules, the Musical” and “Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story” are two — speak to the budding princess or hero in kids, and perhaps the princess and hero nostalgia in their moms and dads. Disney’s themed deck parties are family extravaganzas with costumes, dancing, and fireworks (a Disney cruise exclusive; no other line offers fireworks at sea.) The ships’ Studio Sea is a nexus for family entertainment, ranging from Superstar Karaoke to the Disney family disco and from “Who Wants to Be a Mousketeer?” to “Walk the Plank Game Show.” Other activities include “animation fun,” where families can learn how to draw Disney characters; “eco quiz,” showcased on the Ariel View screen above the family pool; and a magic workshop.

CARNIVAL

To start, there’s a special family afternoon on every seven-day voyage; a highlight of that is an ice cream eating competition (and if ice cream isn’t a great age leveler, I don’t know what is). Carnival Cruises also offers a boatload of activities that parents, grandparents and children can enjoy together. Among these: family parties in the disco, family scavenger hunts, karaoke, and “Name that Tune.” A mother-and-daughter manicure, anyone? How about a father-and-son foot massage? Carnival offers a youth spa program where children ages 12 to 14 and their parents can enjoy body and beauty treatments together on port days. For budding stars and their stage parents, ships offer a Kids’ Talent Show.

P&O

In addition to ample space set aside for kids’ clubs, families will love Ventura’s four pools (plus a small dip pool outside the kids’ club) and six hot tubs. There’s a large sports court with tennis, cricket, basketball, and golf nets. In the evenings older children can take part in the kids’ talent shows; and also a teens’ rock school in show lounge Havana — cool! With 12 restaurants and Freedom Dining available (no set times or venues) there’s plenty of flexibility for families. A small library has board games for rainy days at sea.

PRINCESS

We love the activities offered to Princess Pelicans (ages 3-7), including arts and crafts like T-shirt painting and a variety of games. Shockwaves (8-12) are entertained with scavenger hunts and science programs geared to the region (learning about coral reefs, for instance). Princess offers an Adventures Ashore tour program with shore excursions appropriate for families. Remix (13-17) features dance parties, shipboard Olympics and karaoke. Princess also teamed with Klutz to offer an array of arts-and-crafts projects, such as building storybooks, weaving friendship bracelets and making lanyards.