When you think of a family holiday, you probably think of a holiday park somewhere. Or an all-inclusive sunshine break with a good kids club.
I’m not sure if you would immediately think of a cruise.
As it turns out though, cruises can make great family holidays. Whether it’s exploring Europe with all-inclusive Emerald river cruises or something a bit further afield, cruises can be a fab option for families.
Here are 3 reasons why:
1. There is lots to do for children of all ages
Most cruise ships will have a kids club, and an equivalent for teenagers. So children of all ages will be kept happily entertained, and well looked after. If you think your child might use the club then take them along on the first day, so they can meet other children right at the beginning instead of trying to join in later on in the holiday.
There’s quite often baby sitting services too if you’d like to go out for dinner just the two of you some evenings.
When you want to spend time as a family on board there are all sorts of activities you can do together, from swimming to rock climbing and even ice skating on some ships.
2. Even fussy eaters will find something to enjoy
One of the things that cruise ships are famous for is the huge choice of food available.
So even if your child is a really fussy eater they’ll be able to find something on board to tempt them. A cruise is also a great time to give more adventurous eaters the chance to try foods from all sorts of different countries and cultures.
3. You can have amazing family experiences
As well as brilliant times on board the ship, you’ll have amazing experiences as a family when you dock in different places.
You can normally chose to book in for organised tours and excursions, or you can plan your own trips as a family. Either way you’ll make memories to last a lifetime together.
If you’re considering a cruise for your next family holiday then there are some things to think about and plan ahead for.
One of the biggest issues on board these ships is health and hygiene. So make sure your children understand about washing their hands properly, and carry hand sanitiser with you so you can keep everyone’s hands nice and clean.
If anyone in the family suffers with travel sickness then spending a lot of time on a boat might be an issue.
There are some things you can do to help though, like booking a room closer to the middle of the ship where there’ll be less movement. You can also buy seabands which use acupressure to help with motion sickness.
One last tip that is genius for families is to do your washing while you’re still on board the ship. Take your dirty clothes to the on-board launderette and have it washed and dried before the end of your holiday. That way you won’t have piles to do when you get home.
That tip comes thanks to Fizzy Peaches who wrote all about their experience with going on a cruise as a family for the first time.
I’ve never been on a cruise but absolutely love the idea of them
There’s something quite special about waking up in a new place each day, and really enjoying the journey to see different towns and countries. One of the highlights of a Mediterranean cruise would be seeing the beautiful coast lines as you sail around.
I’ve been doing a bit of reading into cruise holidays and they sound like no other type of holiday.
Here are some surprising facts about cruise ships that you might not know:
There is no deck 13
I’m not superstitious at all about the number 13 (I was born on Friday the 13th) but a lot of people still are. And this means that on quite a few cruise ships the numbers of the decks go from 12 to 14, missing out number 13.
What is quite interesting is that on some Italian cruise lines it’s deck 17 that’s missing, because it’s thought to be an unlucky number in Italy.
You can’t take your iron on board with you
I don’t think I’ve ever thought about taking an iron on holiday with me, but for anyone who was considering it you’d have to think again.
You’re not allowed to take an iron on board with you because of the fire risk.
So try to pack clothes that you can get away without ironing, and take anything that does really need doing to the ship’s laundry service.
The walls of the cabins are metal
The main reason for this is fire safety, and safety in general.
What’s fun though is that you can use magnetic clips and hooks to hang your things from the walls and ceiling in your cabin. It’s a great way to save some space if your cabin is on the small side.
The carpets are designed to stop you getting lost
Cruise ships are big. Really big. And it can be really easy to lose your bearings as you wander round the ship.
To help make things a bit easier some cruise ships will have different coloured or patterned carpets on the different sides of the ship.
Cruise ships have godmothers
I think most people know that boats are christened, but did you know that they’re also given godmothers?
The Disney Dream has Jennifer Hudson as its godmother, while the Nieuw Statendam has Oprah Winfrey.
The anchors are incredibly heavy
Of course anchors are heavy, that’s the whole point.
The anchor on a cruise ship though can be as heavy as four African forest elephants, which is about 20, 500 pounds. Generally though the ships try to avoid dropping the anchor unless they absolutely have to. The anchors can be harmful to the delicate ecosystems in the water, and most cruise ships are able to stay in place without dropping their anchors.
Some of them are floating art galleries
If you’re after a little bit more from your cruise ship in the way of culture then you might want to take a trip on the P&O cruise ship Britannia.
This particular ship has an art collection on board of around 8000 pieces, worth about a million pounds.
Did you know these facts about cruise ships? Which one was most surprising to you?
Holidays don’t need to be all about chilling by the pool and vegetating on the beach, they can be incredible learning experiences and opportunities for genuine growth. This is particularly true of an adventure holiday, where you might be cast out of your comfort zone a little.
But aside from the obvious (the clue is in the name) what else are adventure or activity holidays actually good for?
Here, we’ll underline a few reasons why you might want to consider a true adventure for your next family holiday.
The challenge
Knowing how far you can push yourself is an incredibly important thing, particularly if you’re trying to mould your children into engaged and responsible individuals. You might never have thought you and your family could handle white water rafting down the Grand Canyon or trekking Kilimanjaro, but you’d be amazed at what you’re capable of when you push yourself.
The perspective
Adventure and activity holidays allow you to experience a familiar location from an unfamiliar perspective. You might have been to Paris or Disneyland a few times, for example, but cycling through France is a completely different and potentially more rewarding experience.
The culture
When we travel to typical tourist destinations we are often sequestered in our little bubbles. We’ll only meet other like-minded people and will probably only end up eating the same foods. Adventure holidays, meanwhile, are all about introducing yourself to new cultures, experiencing new flavours and new points of view.
The memories
You are unlikely to remember a beach holiday to Spain in 30 years. But you are definitely going to fondly remember that time you climbed up the side of a mountain in Nepal or mountain biking in Macedonia.
The skills
There can be few things in life as rewarding as picking up a new skill. Activity holidays are all about learning new skills that you might be able to use in your everyday life. This can be social skills, fitness skills or even more specific skills like making a secure knot or being able to start a fire without a match.
The health and the happiness
With many kids today spending half of their lives glued to a screen, the health and wellbeing of our children has never been more at risk. Obesity and social disorders are at an all-time high and a great way to mitigate some of that risk is to make sure your kids are being active and spending time with their family. Family adventure holidays often mean coming together as a family to solve a problem or get through a challenge and this will not only help bring you closer together, it will make you appreciate each other too.
There’s a lot to see and do in London. Whether you want to see the sights or go on a Monopoly pub crawl, it’s important that you plan out how to get around this vast capital. There are a number of modes of transport to consider, each with their own pros and cons.
Here are just some of the 7 most popular ways to get around.
Go on the tube
The London Underground (AKA the tube) is the most common and convenient way of getting around London in most cases. Oyster cards are worth investing in if you visit London frequently. Alternatively, you can simply buy a London Travelcard that will allow you to travel freely (there are single day card, three day cards and seven day cards). Make sure to research ahead in case lines are closed and avoid rush hour on a weekday if you don’t want to be crammed into a train like sardines.
Try other rail services
London also has a number of overground services which can extend to places that the tube doesn’t. There’s also the DLR, which is an automated train system with links to London City Airport and ExCel. Finally, there are also trams around various parts of London. Most of these transport options are covered by the London Travelcard.
Ride a double-decker bus
The bus network in London can be another option. It’s slower than the trains, but it can be more scenic (especially if you ride the top deck). Most of London’s buses are also covered by the London Travelcard. There are then bus tours that you can take, some of which have open tops that are perfect for the summer. These bus routes are perfect for seeing the landmarks. There are also themed bus tours including ghost tours.
Take a black cab
The black cabs are also iconic in London. They’re a lot more expensive than buses and trains, however they do offer more freedom – you’re not stuck to a timetable and can catch them in the early hours of the morning when the trains and buses aren’t running.
Hire a chauffeur
If you’re celebrating a special event such as a hen night or a birthday, you could even consider looking into chauffeurs in London and hiring your own private vehicle. This could allow you to make multiple stops without booking a taxi each time. You could even look into limo hire.
Catch a ferry down the Thames
You can also explore London from the water. There are a number of ferries and cruises that operate along the Thames. These can allow you to see all the sights from a new perspective. There are even dinner cruises in which you can enjoy a meal as you travel down the river.
Walk it
London is a big city, but it’s possible to walk between many of the attractions in the centre. You’ll save money by doing this and you could see sights you may not otherwise have seen such as street entertainers, quirky shops and markets. A walk along the Thames is particularly worthwhile.
London is such a diverse city with all sorts of things to do. You can spend your trip looking around all of the tourist attractions like Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the London Dungeons.
If that doesn’t take your fancy, you can take a historical tour and visit places like the HMS Belfast museum or maybe take a history walk. Maybe none of that interests you and what you’re really looking for is a great cultural experience.
The good news is, you can find that in London as well. These are some of the best cultural attractions that the city has to offer.
Galleries
London is packed full of some amazing art galleries showcasing work from some of the best artists around the world. If your tastes are more traditional, the Tate is the perfect place to start. You can also visit the Tate Modern if you’re interested in something more contemporary.
Both of those galleries are completely free so they’re ideal for a budget trip. Galleries are a great place to go with the family so you can give your kids a new experience in London. There are some other great galleries like the Saatchi but you do have to pay admission and it’s not ideal for kids because some of the exhibits are a bit out there.
Theatres
Seeing a show in London is a brilliant experience and if you’ve never done it before, you should absolutely make it a priority on your next trip. There is such a huge range from family friendly musicals to classic Shakespeare so whatever your tastes, you should be able to find something that suits you. The only problem is, the tickets are quite pricey sometimes.
However, if you look for last minute theatre tickets, London shows don’t have to be that expensive. You can usually get cheap seats from as little as £15 which is a lot less than you’d pay if you booked through the normal sites.
Museums
There are plenty of interesting museums in London and the great thing is, most of them are completely free. The biggest and best known is the British Museum and you could spend days lost in there. They’ve got some great exhibitions that span all different periods of history and the artefacts that they’ve got on show there are incredible. The Rosetta Stone, the Lycurgus Cup and the real life mummies that they’ve got in there are some of the best highlights.
You’ve got the Natural History Museum as well where you can see a giant T-Rex skeleton which is sure to be a hit if you’re visiting with the kids. There are loads of other exhibitions on all sorts of different animals so if you and the family love wildlife, this is the best museum for you.
If you’re interested in science, you should definitely visit the London Science Museum while you’re there. It’s great for kids because there are lots of interactive exhibitions that they can get stuck into, as well as an interesting display on the future of space travel.
If you’re looking for a cultural weekend away in London, these are some of the best attractions to visit.
When you’re looking to travel, you’ll often notice it seems to be cheaper to travel abroad than it is to travel in the UK.
However, thankfully there are lots of great ways to save money when travelling around the country. So, whether you’re looking to stay local, or you’re looking to travel a little further afield in the UK, here you’ll discover some of the best tips to help you save money.
Take advantage of off-peak travel
You can save potentially a lot of money on UK travel if you choose to travel off peak. This is especially true if you plan on taking the train. You’ll find that off peak tickets come at a much lower price, and there’s even the possibility you could benefit from super-off peak prices.
Another great tip with public transportation is to book in advance. If you already know what dates you’ll be travelling, booking well in advance can save you a lot of money on the cost of the journey compared to booking on the day.
Head to cheaper regions
Did you know that some parts of the country are cheaper to travel to than others? Obviously, areas close to home are going to be cheaper than those far away, but when it comes to the overall travel experience including the cost of accommodation and entertainment, there’s some regions which are much cheaper than others.
These cheaper regions include the north of England, Wales, Devon and Scotland (providing it’s outside of Edinburgh). Take time to research the different locations before deciding which one would be right for you.
Consider buying sightseeing passes
If you’ll be heading to any of the major attractions in the UK, you could save money by investing in sightseeing passes. Theme Parks and major cities offer sightseeing passes which allow you free entry or free admission onto the rides. You can even buy Heritage passes, which allow you entry into some of the UK’s top heritage attractions. You can buy a Heritage Pass from the National Trust.
Travelling around the UK can be expensive, but with the clever tips above you could save potentially a lot of money. Don’t forget to check out the free attractions in the area you’ll be visiting too. These can save you a small fortune on the cost of your little getaway.
We are rather fond of Bluestone, Wales in our family.
It was somewhere I’d heard such wonderful things about for quite a while before we actually went ourselves and I was thrilled that it lived up to all the expectations I had.
We have been twice now, once in late spring and once in December for a winter break including a trip to the Kingdom of the Elves. And it sparked a conversation with the children about which holiday they liked best. I wondered if there was a particular time of year that is best for visiting Bluestone.
I think the best way to tackle this is to look at what you can expect from a holiday at Bluestone at different times of the year, and what we particularly enjoyed about each of our trips.
Spring and Summer
We went on our first trip to Bluestone in May 2017, so it was late spring and it was absolutely glorious.
We got really lucky with the weather and had plenty of sunshine and blue skies, with just a bit of drizzle on the last day. Which meant we seemed to have endless hours to get out and explore the resort. This would be a big draw for me to go again in the spring or summer, the fact that there are more hours of daylight to spend outside enjoying everything that Bluestone has to offer.
There are also a few things both onsite and in the local area that aren’t open, or have restricted hours, in the winter so the warmer months are a great option if you particularly want to do them.
This includes eating at Camp Smokey at the resort.
The steep ravine with its tree climbing and high ropes course is still open in the winter, and you can wander down to Camp Smokey for a look around, but if you want to enjoy a meal there you’ll need to book a visit in the warmer months.
We didn’t eat there when we went but it’s something I would like to try on another visit, now the children are older and more likely to try different foods. At Camp Smokey you can enjoy hot sandwiches, burgers and hotdogs as well as various snacks. The main appeal though is in the smokey smores, where you can toast your own marshmallows over the camp fire.
If you want to visit Folly Farm while you’re in Pembrokeshire you’ll also be better off choosing a spring or summer break, because it’s only open at weekends from the start of November to the middle of February.
Holidays to Bluestone in the spring and summer are great for simple things like letting little ones burn off their energy in the play park in the village.
They can still do this in the winter of course, and it’s still great fun, but it’s more relaxing for parents when it’s warm and sunny. You can let the children stay and play until it gets dark, while you sit down and enjoy a coffee or a milkshake from Ty Coffi.
The whole philosophy at Bluestone is about free range fun, getting the whole family out in nature and exploring. And the lake is a great place to go for a walk to experience some of that free range fun.
In the spring and summer especially the lake is brilliant.
Between March and October you can sign up for a whole range of watersports and water-based activities at the lake, from paddle boarding and kayaking to family raft wars. If you’re not feeling quite so energetic you can still have a great time walking around and seeing all the amazing wildlife.
When we went we were all so excited to see some ducks with their little ducklings walking around.
If you’re looking for more things to do to keep your children busy and entertained on your holiday there are all sorts of options in the spring and the summer thanks to the legends of the sea festival and the summer festival.
Both festivals offer so much to keep the whole family entertained, with special events, shows, workshops and craft activities.
A lot of these events take place out in nature during the warmer months which is really lovely.
And you can keep making the most of being outside at mealtimes too, by having a barbecue at your lodge.
All the lodges have little stands in the kitchen to use with disposable barbecues, which you can either bring with you or buy at Newton Stores in the village.
The one potential downside of visiting Bluestone in the spring or summer is that these times of year are often more popular and busier. What we found when we went in May though, was that even though the resort was busy, it really didn’t feel busy.
There is so much open space around Bluestone that we found plenty of places to explore that felt quiet and peaceful.
Autumn and Winter
Things can get so busy in the run up to Christmas and a few nights away at Bluestone is the perfect way to get away from it all and relax a bit. You can visit the spa, go for walks in the woods and around the lake and just enjoy a slower pace of life.
There are also some activity-packed festivals during autumn and winter too, from the Bwbach festival in autumn to the winter lights festival at the start of each year.
One of the biggest reasons to visit Bluestone in winter though is for the Kingdom of the Elves.
The Kingdom of the Elves is the hugely popular event that Bluestone put on every year in the lead up to Christmas, and it is well worth a visit to get in the festive spirit and is great for children of all ages.
One of the great things about Bluestone is that there is still plenty to do outdoors in the colder months of the year.
As long as you come armed with wellies and warm clothes (and possibly a torch) then you’ll still have an amazing time exploring the nature trails, the lake and the playground in the village.
The resort is set out so that you can get everywhere easily on foot, but if you don’t fancy walking everywhere in the cold then you can easily hire a buggy for the duration of your stay, or time your outings to make use of the free bus service that runs around the resort.
Visiting in the colder months might also mean that you get full use out of all the indoor activities on site that you might not get round to in the summer.
There’s the adventure centre that has enough to keep the children happy for hours at a time. And coffee and wifi for the parents.
The main indoor attraction for my family has always been the blue lagoon, and swimming here when it’s cold is a brilliant experience.
The lazy river takes you outside and it is something else when the cold air hits you for the first time!
We also absolutely loved the frost lagoon experience on our winter break. The pool stays open a bit later on these days, so you can swim after dark. There is music playing and disco lights flashing, and the pretty surreal experience of going from that to looking up at dark skies in the freezing cold when the lazy river takes you outside.
Bluestone is still busy in the lead up to Christmas, but again we didn’t notice it feel busy while we were there.
At other times in the autumn and winter though it may be quieter than the warmer months which some people might prefer.
You also have the added bonus of the local area being quieter too at these off-peak times of the year. You might not think of going to the beach on a chilly day, but it’s amazing to have the whole place pretty much to yourself. And you can still have so much fun, building sandcastles, exploring and even flying kites on windy autumnal days.
So, there are so many reasons to visit Bluestone at any time of year, I’m really not sure if there is one season or another that is actually better than any other.
It all depends what you’re looking for in a holiday really.
The one thing I preferred about our May trip was that we were able to spend longer outdoors. It felt like we were able to squeeze more out of each day because we were out exploring later into the afternoons and early evenings.
When we went in December though it was just magical.
I really don’t think I could pick between the two holidays as to which was my favourite. What’s so lovely about Bluestone is that they have found a great balance between keeping some things the same, so it’s familiar and almost like coming home when you go back for another stay, and updating things and moving with the seasons.
There are festivals throughout the year, celebrating the changing seasons and making a holiday at any time feel like something really special.
So I’m sorry if this post hasn’t actually helped you decide the perfect time of year for you to book a holiday to Bluestone, but as far as I’m concerned there is no bad time to go!
Disclosure – We were given a four night stay at Bluestone, including tickets to the Kingdom of the Elves, but all words and opinions are my own.
