6 Reasons Your Family Should Go On A Cruise

“Spend money on experiences, not things.” -Author Unknown.

That is a wonderful saying and something I have tried to live by. But where should a family go? A road trip to the beach or the National Parks? Theme Parks? All Inclusive resorts? These are all wonderful choices. Since my youngest was 15 months old, my family have tried all of those things but we keep going back to one type of vacation, cruising. It offers so much for our family and here are six reasons why you should consider cruising as your next vacation.

1)Unpack once and see multiple destinations.

As a mom, my list of what to pack, who needs what and how to pack it for my family of four is always quite exhausting. The thought of having to do this more than once during one vacation makes me want to pull my hair out! One of the joys of cruising for me is that once we get on the ship, we can unpack once and still visit many ports/destinations without having to re-pack. AHHH!

2)Multiple destinations/ports

More often than not cruises sail to different cities or countries during one itinerary. Caribbean, Europe, Pacific Coast, Alaska…sailing to different ports becomes an excellent way to get a “taste” of so many cultures and to see the different beautiful landscapes of each country. You can book an excursion to fit your family’s activity level or you can venture out on your own and explore the beaches, shops, historical sites, whatever you want.

3)Something for everyone.

If you ever wonder what can a family possibly do on the ship all day especially on sea days, let me tell you, A LOT. There are so many things to do to keep the whole family occupied. Kids can venture into the kids clubs which often are designed for certain age groups. For those who don’t want to go into the clubs or would rather have family fun on the ship, you can enjoy the pools, basketball courts, slides, mini golf, & rock climbing wall. Some ships even have bumper cars, ice skating, bowling, flowrider, and ropes course. And if that still doesn’t satisfy you, each day the Cruise Director has a schedule of events that can have you watching a movie, fun trivia contests, going to a workshop, fitness class & even spa treatments. Or what I like to call, Mommy’s escape room.

4)Entertainment

Each night after dinner, there is often a plethora of entertainment for everyone. They often have Broadway style shows, family (and adult later in the evening) comediennes, magicians, ventriloquists and lounges playing different genres of music. Most ships also have a casino that open while at sea.

5)Food

If you have a son like mine, he wants two things, pizza and chicken fingers with lots of ketchup on it. Cruises cater to those picky eaters all the way to the foodies who want to try different and sometimes unique cuisine. Whether you want casual buffet or more upscale fine dining, you will find the gamut of venues on cruise ships. Most of the venues are included in the cruise price. They also offer specialized restaurants if you are looking for something different like, sushi, hibachi, a steak house, chefs table, etc. The servers and kitchen will even go out of their way to help you with any food allergies.

6)Unplug from Technology

Today it’s so hard for the whole family to be away from their smartphones or tablets. Cruise lines have internet and WiFi packages aboard their ships for those who still need or want to stay connected while at sea. But, I actually find the whole disconnect quite refreshing. My kids aren’t grabbing their phone or tablet to check out that latest Snapchat post or Youtube video that just went up. No distractions to easily engage them and frankly for us adults too. There was a time when we always lived disconnected from social media and it was quite nice returning to that on the ship. Being unplugged from technology allows us to enjoy the moment with family and friends and make memories to last forever.

After sharing all of my reasons to go on a family cruise, I think I will go and find another one to book right now! : )

What are your reasons for taking a cruise with the family?