The 2 amazing family cruise holidays we took

Family cruise holidays – a possibility?

It’s not often that we find ourselves lacking inspiration for our next travels; but were it not for such a lack, we would have never had two incredible family cruise holidays in the past year.

Back in March 2023, the conversations around the dinner table started going in circles: maybe a city break, there’s still so many cities we haven’t seen – Barcelona, Lisbon, Madrid, Stockholm? Maybe somewhere at the edge of a desert? Ilinca would start rolling her eyes and demand aquaparks and other children’s companionship. Sinan would threatingly eye my Greece and Rome travel guides, silently saying “No more ruins!”. It seemed we all wanted something different.

As we were organizing Ilinca’s toy one day – parents know that, honest to God, there’s no better way to let off steam – we came across a toy cruise ship she had received at a tourism fair back in 2019. We all paused and nodded in agreement, each of us imagining something different, I am quite sure.

But would we be able to afford a cruise? Would we even like it? Would we get sea sick and hate the crowds? Would we have enough time at each port of call? Endless questions and hopes churned over the same mental wheels that had been busy identifying our next destination in the previous weeks.

Family cruise holidays – the Meditteranean trial version

What we ended up doing was to look online and book a ‘trial run” cruise for three days, from Rome to Barcelona. We figured we can survive anything for 3 days and the itinerary allowed us to explore two cities we haven’t seen before.

This gave us a few days before the cruise to explore Rome with its family-friendly charm, romantic allure, and exhausting little perks. I got to see my fair share of ruins, Sinan and Ilinca ate their weight in pasta and pizza, and we all became addicted to this little gelato shop around the corner from our appartment.

After three days in Rome, we packed our bags, gave endless thanks to various divinities that the buses to the station were running that day, and took a 1-hour train ride to Civitavecchia, a seaside resort where we would board MSC MUSICA. We were all giddy from excitement as we had the first sighting of the ship and the first gusts of Mediterranean wind touched our faces. What striked us then and still amazes us is the sheer number of personnel MSC employs to help, guide, and support passengers. Everything runs so smoothly on their cruise ships because there’s literally a person every 100 m to guide you to where you should be next. After an airport-like check-in procedure we found ourselves aboard the cruise ship, which in reality is like a floating all-inclusive resort.

We learned a lot in those 24-hours aboard the ship, and it was not just our way around. We learned why keeping stuff you need for the next 24 hours in your hand luggage makes sense when you embark and disembark. We learned why internet packages are needed while sailing in international waters. We learned there’s several restaurants you can enjoy on board, but there’s also a buffet that’s almost always open. Ilinca discovered the kids’ activity club and the swimming pool. Me and Sinan hit one of the many tasting bars and booked massages. We learned that the ship does rock a tiny bit while sailing, but the initial queasiness went away and we quite enjoyed being rocked to sleep every night.

But of all things new, nothing compared with the awe of waking up in a new port every morning. The sight of the port and the city slowly coming into view as the ship docks, the loudspeaker announcement from the captain, the hustle and bustle of excited passengers. We all agreed that is a feeling we would be willing to experience on repeat every morning of our lives.

We had two such stops during our initial cruise, one in Genoa and one in Cannes. Sinan and I got to explore the culinary side of Genoa while Ilinca stayed back at the kids’ club on the cruise ship and we all danced in the rain in Cannes while searching for the best French pastries in town.

Upon disembarkation in Barcelona, we were hooked. We knew that not only did we enjoy being on a cruise, but it made sense as a base for exploring ports around the world. We were quite sad we weren’t being rocked to sleep anymore in our Barcelona apartment, but one is never sad for long in Spain. Unless one has kids who spent 5 hours at the Aquarium the next day, but that is another story altogether.

Family cruise holidays – Arabian Nights in the Gulf

For our next adventure, we therefore decided to go all in. This means 7 days, a far-away destination currently unexplored, several countries, and loads of expectations.

We booked a family cruise holiday in the Persian Gulf, including flights and pre-booked shore excursions, flying in/out of Dubai and touring UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain.

The advantage of this decision became crystal clear immediately after our horrendous economy flight with Emirates. Non-issues with luggage at check-in that resulted in endless delays, an overnight flight where our child was denied the children’s welcome package because she was sleeping when the flight attendant first passed her by, food trays not cleared forever since the flight attendant needed to count them first, blankets yanked from us in the middle of the night at least 1 hour before landing, all followed by  2 hour wait for passport check in Dubai Airport at 6 in the morning – we were beat.

And then, the magic of the familiar – no need to look for your hotel, find a taxi, or figure out public transport, no need to find your way in a new country – an MSC person every 100 m – yes, starting in the airport, after baggage claim, showing you where to go, helping with luggage, cheering up your cranky child. Having already known what to expect at check-in, we went through the moves and less than 2 hours later we were aboard MSC EURIBIA. There was coffee, food, amazing views of the Dubai skyline, and a little while later a clean room to shower and rest.

After dinner and a good-night rest, with Ilinca literally declaring “I needed this” as the ship rocked us to sleep, we woke up with the skyline of DOHA coming into view. While we would have loved to try out all of the suggestions we collected for exploring DOHA with kids and in a local’s ultimate guide1-4 Days Qatar itinerary, we settled for a panoramic bus tour, a walk in the souk including a visit to the camels and the falcon souk, and a dhow boat ride with lunch.

While time seemed too short to discover Qatar’s true identity and tradition, the next day we were extremely grateful to be back on board after a cultural tour of Bahrain that did not allow time to eat, use the toilet, or explore. Therefore, all in all we were very happy with our strategy. to try and be back on the ship for lunch.

The upcoming day at sea allowed us to replenish our energy levels, enjoy the sunshine, and our drinks packages.

The following day brought a visit to the Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi, a panoramic tour of the city, a visit to the local market, and a better understanding of what the UAE still lacks in terms of customer service.

The cherry on the cake of our time and the reason we are so excited about family cruise holidays came the following day when an unexpected destination, one we would have never put on any bucket list we assembled ourselves, blew our mind. The island of Sir Bani Yas offered lunch among mangroves, beach vibes, and a safari to see the many animals and learn about the island’s secrets. A perfect day as unexpected as the destination itself.

Finally, it was back to Dubai for one last day of adventures. Between the tour of modern Dubai in the morning and a desert safari in the evening, we did have time to enjoy lunch on the ship.

However, I could not squeeze in any more a visit to old Dubai town center, which was initially scheduled for our first (arrival) day, when we were too exhausted to do it. Another time…

As the early morning came and we were walking towards the exit, the giant screen of what is the ceiling of the MSC EURIBIA Gallery (imagine a shopping mall alley) projected images of staff waving goodbye and wishing us well. An emotional and thoughtful way of making customers feel cherished by thinking of the smallest details.

Family cruise holidays – pros and cons

After our two, overall very positive experiences, we believe we can offer you a rundown of the advantages and disadvantages of choosing family cruise holidays from our perspective. I have also separated some common misconceptions about going on a cruise ship that some of you might have encountered or pondered about at some point.

Advantages of family cruise holidays

1. All-inclusive convenience – Most cruises include accommodations at the 3-4 star hotel level, decent meals, entertainment (evening shows), and activities (children’s club, swimming, bowling), simplifying planning and allowing everyone to unwind between destinations.
2. Variety of activities – Cruises offer entertainment for all ages, from kids’ clubs to adult-only lounges. So if your little ones are in the children’s club, you might enjoy a wine-tasting with your partner.
3. Multiple destinations, one trip – One can visit several locations without the hassle of constantly packing and unpacking. This for us was a game changer, as we did not have to change hotels, bother about car parking, and generally have to organize logistics at every destination.
4. Family bonding time—Shared experiences, excursions, and onboard activities create great family memories. With fewer logistics to organize, parents are also more relaxed and can focus on spending more time with their children (or each other).
5. Safety & security – Cruise ships are generally safe, with controlled access (no, your kids cannot leave the boat by themselves) and onboard medical services.
6. Ease of planning – You don’t need to worry about booking hotels, multiple flights, or transportation between destinations.
7. Flexibility at destination – you don’t need to always book organized tours. The stopovers are long enough to allow you plenty of time to explore on your own if you wish to do so.

Disadvantages of going on family cruise holidays

1. Expensive extras – While some things are included, excursions, drinks, specialty dining, and Wi-Fi often cost extra. We found the internet packages and drinks packages to be necessary and save money. Excursions we only booked for our Persian Gulf destinations and we found them to be on the expensive side and not always worth it, but all in all they were the best way to obtain panoramic impressions of the respective destinations. However, I do have to honestly admit that a certain amount of “looking over your shoulder” to ensure no extra costs are involved is required.
2. Limited time at ports – Visits to destinations are brief, limiting how much you can explore. Sure, I would have loved to squeeze in another souk visit or a museum or two, but as said we also tried to eat our meals on board, which provided us with limited exploration time. However, this can be an advantage at underwhelming destinations such as Bahrain.
3. Limited destinations – Family cruise holidays only make sense for seaside destinations that can be explored in one day. One needs to keep expectations realistic and not assume one would be able to explore deeply inland or a huge metropolis like Rome on a cruise layover.
4. Limited emergency services – Up to now, we have not used any of the medical services on board during our family cruise holidays. To be transparent, the fact that these services might not be extensive and serious emergencies might require evacuation (and the logistics associated with such a case) is one of the concerns I have during every cruise.

Family cruise holidays – common misconceptions

1. Crowds & long lines – There is the popular concept that cruises can be overcrowded, leading to long waits for activities and dining. We found this to be bearable, to the same extent that all-inclusive hotels are crowded for activities and restaurants. However, no matter how crowded, service always ran smoothly on both of our cruises.
2. Potential seasickness – Some people might be concerned that they might struggle with motion sickness. We might have been lucky with the weather, but we loved being rocked to sleep and none of us felt any significant seasickness. It might be due to the sheer size of the ship, but one does not really feel much of the motion to begin with.
3. Confined spaces – there is a common fear that cabins are small and being on a ship can feel restrictive, especially for active children. However, we found the cabins to be no smaller than a regular hotel room in France or the Netherlands. What helped was to book a cabin with a balcony or at least a seaside window, in order to not feel too confined. Additionally, just wandering about the ship to reach the different locations is quite an exercise (about 8000 steps during a day at sea), so little explorers are bound to be exhausted enough to not require more activities.
4. Risk of illness outbreaks – Cruises are notoriously known for norovirus and other illnesses spreading quickly in enclosed environments. While this is true, the same can be said of all-inclusive hotels and, well, childcare facilities and schools. If, as a family, you survived the first two years of kindergarten, you are good to go. Also, cleanliness on board is kept to a high standard (read above about the sheer number of personnel on MSC cruises) and all in all we were quite satisfied and felt safe.
5. Less authentic cultural experience – Port stops are often thought of as touristy, making it harder to experience local culture deeply. To some extent this is true, and some of the organized land excursions definitely felt that way. However, nothing really stops you from exploring on your own and creating your own itinerary. We had amazingly authentic experinces in Cannes, Genoa, or Doha during our cruises.

Family cruise holidays – conclusion

To sum up, we are sold on going on family cruise holidays whenever destinations make sense. We found the setup of a cruise to be supportive of exploring multiple destinations without extensive logistics and we adjust expectations accordingly with respect to crowds and what we can experience during such a trip.

We would love to hear about your experience with family cruise holidays in the comments; likewise, shall you have any questions, we will try to answer them below.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be aware that this article summarizes our own subjective experience during family cruise holidays we have paid for ourselves. It is by no means an advertisement or a sponsored post. The article does, however, contain a few friendly affiliate links. Shall you make a purchase through any of them, we get a small commission at no extra cost for you.