The cruise our teenagers didn't want to go on...
A luxury Mediterranean journey that turned three reluctant teenagers into cruise converts.
When we told our three teenage children that our next family holiday was going to be a cruise, it’s fair to say they weren’t exactly thrilled.
In fact, they were adamant they didn’t want to go.
Like lots of people who haven’t cruised before, they already had an idea in their heads of what it would be like. They had all the usual reservations: would it feel too busy, would there be enough to do, and would they enjoy spending so much time at sea?
Then we stepped onboard Explora Journeys and very quickly, those expectations started to disappear.
Rather than feeling crowded, the ship felt incredibly spacious. There were plenty of sunbeds, beautiful open areas, large cabins and generous balconies, and none of the sense of being surrounded by thousands of other passengers that they had expected.
It felt calm, relaxed and incredibly premium. In fact, it almost didn’t feel like being on a cruise at all.
More than just a cruise
One of the things we really loved about this holiday was that the cruise was only one part of the experience.
Before joining the ship, we flew out to Rome and spent three nights at Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá, giving us time to properly enjoy the city rather than simply flying in and heading straight to the port.
Villa Agrippina was the perfect start to the holiday. It felt luxurious and special from the moment we arrived, and it meant the premium experience began before we had even stepped onboard Explora.
For us, having those extra few days in Rome made such a difference. We could settle into holiday mode, explore at our own pace and enjoy the city before moving on to the next part of the trip.
And this is something we think is really worth considering when planning a cruise.
Your holiday doesn’t have to begin and end with the sailing itself.
We can build a cruise into a much bigger itinerary, whether that means adding a few nights in the departure city, extending your stay at the end, including a luxury hotel, arranging private transfers or combining the cruise with another destination altogether.
It gives you the freedom to see as much - or as little - as you want, rather than simply flying in, boarding the ship and flying home again.
For this trip, those three nights in Rome made the whole holiday feel even more complete.
From Rome to Barcelona
After our stay in Rome, we travelled to Civitavecchia to join Explora Journeys for our Mediterranean sailing. Our itinerary took us through Naples, Capri, Corsica, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Marseille and Menorca before finishing in Barcelona.
One of the things the children had worried about before travelling was the idea of being stuck at sea with nowhere to go.
The reality was completely different.
We were waking up to somewhere new almost every day, exploring different destinations and then returning to the ship to relax, eat and enjoy the evening. Instead of the ship feeling like somewhere we were trapped between destinations, it became part of the holiday itself.
“But won’t it feel crowded?”
This was probably one of our biggest misconceptions.
One of our biggest concerns was whether the ship would feel busy, particularly around the pool and communal areas. That simply wasn’t our experience onboard Explora.
The ship felt spacious and beautifully designed, with plenty of areas to sit, relax and find your own space. Even around the pool, there were plenty of sunbeds rather than the early-morning scramble we had imagined.
The cabins were another surprise.
Rather than feeling small or enclosed, they were spacious, beautifully finished and had large, spacious balconies where we could sit and watch the world go by. For us, travelling with teenagers, having that extra space made a huge difference.
What about seasickness?
Another concern before travelling was how much we would feel the ship moving.
The answer?
Hardly at all.
We were surprised by just how stable and comfortable the ship felt, and the fear that we would spend the holiday constantly aware of being at sea quickly disappeared.
And surely teenagers get bored on cruises?
Apparently not.
There was always something to do, somewhere to go or something to eat, and because every day brought another destination, the holiday naturally had plenty of variety.
Restaurant reservations were easy too, which gave us the flexibility to choose where we wanted to eat rather than feeling tied to rigid dining arrangements.
That flexibility, combined with the space onboard and the different destinations along the way, meant the experience felt much more like a luxury resort that happened to travel with us.
Luxurious, relaxed and wonderfully easy
That might actually be the best way to describe Explora Journeys.
It didn’t feel like the version of cruising we had imagined.
It felt spacious rather than crowded.
Relaxed rather than hectic.
Luxurious rather than regimented.
We were discovering a completely new destination almost every day. By the end of the trip, the three children who had been so determined they didn’t want to go had completely changed their minds.
Perhaps the biggest endorsement of all?
We’ve already booked our next Explora Journeys cruise - this time to the Caribbean next year.
So, if you’ve always dismissed cruising because you think it might be too busy, too restrictive or simply not your kind of holiday, it might be worth reconsidering.
And remember, a cruise doesn’t have to be the whole holiday. With the right planning, it can form part of a much bigger trip, giving you the chance to add on the places and experiences you really want to see.
Sometimes the holiday you’re most unsure about turns out to be the one you can’t wait to do again.
If this has piqued your interest, Explora Journeys has a fantastic range of itineraries to choose from. Whether you’re considering the Mediterranean, Caribbean or somewhere further afield, we can help build your cruise into a wider holiday with carefully chosen hotels, transfers and extra stays before or after you sail.
