Towards the end of last year, it looked like I was going to be spending Christmas alone – and I was not bearing the news with much grace.
But just when I had almost resigned myself to an orphan Christmas, eating toast for Christmas dinner, and giving myself a lump of coal just so I could feel especially sorry for myself – lo and behold! – a Christmas cruise came my way. On board a fancy-pants cruise ship. Sailing through New Caledonia and Fiji. Insert shocked emoticon face here.
That’s how my younger sister and I ended up spending nine days sailing the high seas on board the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas: eating delectable three-course meals for dinner every night in a dining room that resembled something out of The Beauty and the Beast (sans singing cutlery); drinking cocktails by the pool every day; and visiting two amazing countries, which we had never been to before.
To be honest, I was a little hesitant about what life on board a cruise ship might be like. I was expecting the clientele to be like those on board the Titanic (er, the 1997 version – not the real life version), and was certain that my sister and I wouldn’t fit in among the other guests, who I pictured dripping with jewels and wearing corsets and top hats. Never mind that the fashions have changed significantly since 1912.
In fact, everyone on board was completely lovely and welcoming. The staff onboard the ship were friendly and attentive (our Assistant Waitress Jenny was always happy to crack a joke and would sometimes perform spontaneous renditions of J Lo songs).
So for anyone who – like me – really has no idea about what life on a cruise ship is like, I’m going to break it down for you. Here’s what you can expect.
Top Comments
Did this last year on one of Voyager's sister ships. It was awesome. Loved the Solarium - child free pool and cafe- bliss! Staff are fantastic. Food is delish.
Son is begging me to book another cruise.
Only problem is Christmas Cruises are mega expensive compared to the rest of the year.
My main concern about going on a cruise with small kids is the possibility of them going over the side, I would feel the need to watch them on deck at all times and could therefore never fully relax. Are the rails high enough? Is there anything in place to stop kids climbing them?
Hi Beans,
I went on a cruise with P&O with my parents as a teenager (gasp! 20 years ago this year!)
There were very high rails and walls around all the decks (with some areas of the deck cut off significantly) and they ran a fully supervised kid's holiday programme as well. The kids were usually doing activities in a room or somewhere specific on board eg fenced & supervised pool, cinema, kid's disco. My youngest brother was 9 at the time and he had a blast. From memory they had a babysitting service at night, and the only time my parents had to be there was at early dinner service.
We did a cruise when our girls were 3 and 4. They always held hands on deck. Kids club was wonderful and very safe. For the record, our girls are WILD and love to run, climb etc.
We also had an interior cabin so no balcony. No way could I relax with a balcony!
We have been fortunate to travel a lot as we live overseas. Honestly, the cruise was one of the most relaxing holidays we have had.
The rails are certainly high enough to stop anyone accidentally tumbling over, and you feel secure when you're sightseeing over the edge.
One really great thing is that on the ship I was on, the pool deck (which is where I saw kids spending most of their time) is actually enclosed - with an open roof. So the sides of that deck are all windows.
It's not always great. You need to watch pretty carefully, especially if your kid is a climber. Little ones could get over the rails on some open decks (like the one the drills are held on) and if your room has a balcony there is furniture on it they can easily climb on to first like a small table and deck chairs which would make it easy to get over the rail. We took our toddler on a Royal Carribbean cruise last year and it was a little nerve-wracking, but fortunately he isn't a climber and you can just make sure you move the outdoor furniture out of the way and keep your balcony door locked. The pool deck is fully enclosed if they are old enough to go out swimming with you. There is however a beautiful, clean creche on board and kids club for older ones that is fully enclosed and safe and locked up. The food is terrific for kids too. Our son loved the cruise.