Cruising and children aren't two words that often go together, are they? 'Will my kids enjoy being at sea, will we feel claustrophobic, will we get seasick', are all concerns that had entered my head when considering the holiday.
However, friends of ours were cruise devotees and raved about their children having a blast, so we thought, let's give it a go – and I admit, we had the most amazing holiday. We are now officially cruisers.
My husband and I, and our two children aged 13 and 10, decided to do a 10 -night cruise around Italy, Croatia and Montenegro in August with Celebrity Cruises. The children were dying to visit Italy and none of us had visited Croatia or Montenegro, so we were all excited about the route.
© Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruise ships are owned by the Royal Caribbean Group and are known for their luxury and impressive Forbes accreditation. Our ship, Celebrity Beyond was a brand-new cruise liner complete with stunning interiors designed by Kelly Hoppen.
The ship boarded in Rome, stopping at the following ports: Olympia, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Kotor in Montenegro, Sicily, Naples, Florence/Pisa and back to Rome. What a wonderful itinerary!
Stepping onto Celebrity Beyond
Wow, wow, wow, were our words as we embarked the ship and explored. The ship was enormous, like a city on the sea and we were all blown away.
We were shown the way to our stateroom cabin which has beautiful views out to the ocean. The cabin had everything we needed – a lovely bathroom and spacious shower, and an ultra comfy king-sized bed featuring eXhale® bedding and CashmereTM mattresses. I've honestly never slept so soundly.
© Ryan WicksThe children slept on a sofa transformed each evening into two beds. We didn't have to do this – our stateroom attendant would come in every day, late afternoon to set the bed up for us. We adored the plate of petite cakes brought to us each teatime in our room, always a welcome snack.
The room had ample and cleverly hidden storage for all of our belongings, and our favourite part was the in-room automation where you can control your air-con, TV and even the window blinds from the Celebrity Cruises app on your phone. Impressive. The app also had an on-board messaging service for over 13s which is very handy for locating your teenagers!
© Ryan WicksWalking around the ship for the first time, there was so much to see.
The upper deck featured a stunning main pool surrounded by sun loungers and a bar. Top tip: grab your sunlounger early on in the morning on days at sea as the pool area gets busy. We particularly loved the trolley drinks service direct to our sunloungers – ultimate relaxation.
Elsewhere on the ship were various plunge pools and jacuzzis dotted around, some with views out to sea.
The kids loved the deck with table tennis and pickleball, the outdoor cinema and running track. There's a beautiful garden too for leisurely sunset walks and a cocktail bar nearby.
The Magic Carpet bar and restaurant was something to behold… a cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level and can move up and down the outside of the ship.
Inside the boat, we discovered the huge theatre, nightclub, casino, eight specialty restaurants, café (the kids loved getting their hot chocolates and cakes from here), art gallery and shops. There's also a gym, spa and kids' club.
Onboard activities and entertainment
Where do I start? There was so much to see and do.
By day, there were fun games organised around the pool – yes, I may have done pool Zumba, which was a blast. Brandon loved the pickleball tournaments, Zara had a go at the sketch class and they both enjoyed their pool time with new friends they made.
Down at the Kids' Club, they could run around in the vast hall playing ball sports and there were video games for a spot of downtime too.
© Michel VerdureThe spa is a divine location for adults, offering more than 120 rejuvenating treatments, complete with a thermal suite, Persian garden and solarium.
After dinner, the cruise ship is abuzz with evening entertainment. There were two showings at the theatre so you could eat early or later – we saw everything from comedy to spellbinding dance shows and acrobats to magic.
At the Grand Plaza, the silent discos were a huge hit with young and old and the bands playing were wonderful to watch. We had a couple of evenings dancing in the club, and of course, we had to try our luck in the casino which was huge fun.
© Michel VerdureDrinking and eating
Celebrity Beyond boats 32 food and beverage venues, including eight specialty restaurants, with menus crafted by Michelin-starred chef, Cornelius Gallagher, inspired by the regions visited by the cruise ships.
For breakfast, we'd eat at the Ocean View buffet which catered to all tastes – from omelettes to pastries and an incredible all-day pizza bar. We often ate here for dinner too. For convenience, the ship also has a pool-side grill where you can grab a burger and chips to eat on your lounger should you fancy. Everything was so relaxed on board and the staff were fantastic, so helpful and efficient.
We also tried the Tuscan and Normandie restaurants which were included in our basic food and drink package (which was more than sufficient).
Some stand-out meals were at the amazing Le Petit Chef which is a must-try experience-meal. Animations are beamed down onto your plate and you watch as a tiny chef makes your meal, before the actual dish appears on your plate via the waiter. Our children absolutely loved it.
Eden restaurant was truly fabulous. Not only does it look spectacular with indoor walled gardens and tall glass windows, the experimental food was delicious (think raclette, lobster casserole, the freshest fish) and you have to try their cocktails – one comes in its own treasure chest.
We honestly could have stayed on board for weeks, the quality of the food was so good.
Ports of call
A big part of a cruise is the countries you visit, and our stops did not disappoint.
From exploring the picturesque beaches and tavernas of Corfu to wandering around Dubrovnik's beautiful old town, we lapped up the culture.
Our youngest wasn't the biggest sightseeing fan (gelato kept her going), but our son enjoyed the new places and learning about their history. In Naples, we went for a traditional pizza and booked a Celebrity Cruises excursion to Pompeii, the ancient city, and had a fascinating morning exploring the ruins.
In Dubrovnik and Sicily, we found stunning coves to snorkel in – some of our highlights of the trip. In Kotor, Montenegro, the ship docked close to the old town so it was easy to explore on foot. The boys were full of energy and climbed part way up the imposing mountain on a tourist trail, while Zara and I happily strolled back to the ship's air con. August is hot!
In Pisa, we loved visiting the famous Leaning Tower and doing the obligatory 'pushing it over' pictures. Such fun and an interesting afternoon.
Arriving back in Rome, we stayed on for an extra couple of days and walked the city's sights, seeing the Colosseum, historic piazzas and Roman ruins.
Our views on the cruise
I think you can tell we adored our time on the cruise. It was such a relaxing and fun way to see new places and experience different cultures.
One of my best memories is the joy of our cabin blind going up every morning to be greeted with a new port; the excitement never got old.
© Ryan WicksI had thought I might get bored on a cruise ship or fed up with so many people around, but it was quite the opposite. The ship was so big with so much to do, I could have stayed on indefinitely. We loved the freedom and chilled, happy vibe on board.
Another welcomed touch was the cold face towel and cool drinks on offer at port before you stepped back onto the ship. After walking in the heat it was so needed.
None of us felt seasick at any point. Even the last night on board with a slightly choppy sea didn't affect us, much to our surprise.
Our children loved the cruise just as much as we did. I know some cruises offer kids' facilities such as water slides and high rope climbing, and although our kids would have loved that, I feel it would have changed the feel of the ship. We liked the laid-back family feel rather than a ship overrun with children, so for us, the setup was perfect.
Just one thing to say, take me back!
To book with Celebrity Cruises or for further information visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk, call 0800 240 4286 or contact your preferred travel agent.
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