Family cruises

People often think that cruises are mainly for people who are old, want to go ballroom dancing, eat a pile of shrimp from the buffet, or perhaps lounge on the deck until their tan is topped up enough to last through the winter and they've been able to socialize with people of their own age. But cruises are doing a really good job of shaking off this bad reputation and finding that a wider group of people are choosing to take cruises, and helping right the balance in the average age of the sort of people who take cruises.

Among the people really helping to bring the age range down are the people who are choosing to take family cruises. Adults who perhaps went on a cruise to celebrate their wedding, spending their honeymoon on a romantic cruise in the Caribbean maybe, might have assumed that their days of cruising had come to an end when they had kids and were fated to hundreds of trips to adventure parks and on exciting trips to beaches and theme parks where they wouldn't be able to get any real rest or any sort of relaxation which they need after having worked such tough jobs for so long.

But now that has all changed, and an increasing number of families are opting to relive perhaps their honeymoon times and take their kids along this time on family cruises.

Family cruises are specifically designed with children and adults in mind. You should expect the same sort of luxury that you are treated to on a normal cruise, but with extra activities to keep the kids happy. You may find that there are swimming pools where some are for adults only, and some are more adventure pools for the kids.

These sort of cruise ships are also likely to have the Flow-Rider surf-pools which have proved to be such a hit for kids, somewhere that parents can leave their kids all day while they perhaps take an excursion on to the shore or relax in silence on the deck. Unlike other holiday locations, parents can be sure that the boat is safe, and you'll quickly get to know people who can tell you where your kids are if they've been away for a little too long. Family cruises provide best of both worlds: something for kids, and something for adults. The fact that you get to see so many countries together without much hassle is a big bonus.